


Simulacra: Work in Progress

by arstotrix



Series: The Simulacra Series [1]
Category: SIMULACRA (Kaigan Games OÜ Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Bullying, Character Death, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Out of Character, Science Fiction, Swearing, Trauma, humanization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27376009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arstotrix/pseuds/arstotrix
Summary: Anna and Taylor have been successfully saved. Greg's on the run, and even Toby came back. However, the story doesn't end here: it's only getting started. Why did the Simulacra pick Pretender? What do all of them have to do now? And most importantly, who is Simulacra?
Relationships: Simulacra/Pretender
Series: The Simulacra Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198472
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

\- Do you wanna go home? Or do you wanna get coffee first? - Taylor said with a light smirk.

Anna looked at him as if wanting to say "What the hell, dude?"

\- Oh... okay, let's get you home first.

Taylor looked over the ledge, right where James's lifeless body was lying on the ground. Then he turned to take a look at Anna, who was looking completely weakened and distracted.

\- Hey... Anna, are you sure you'll make it home on foot? You're tired and stressed, and it's getting late. You might get robbed... or worse, - Taylor said with genuine concern.

\- Actually... You might be right, Taylor, - Anna spoke up for the first time. - I gotta call my phone, maybe the person that rescued me can get here and give my phone back to me. That way, I'll be able to call Ashley. Maybe she's driving today.

\- We could call her right now! I still have a phone, you know, - Taylor said.

\- I don't remember the number, unfortunately.

***

Meanwhile Pretender, the man who'd just rescued Anna, Taylor, and potentially many others, had just set down the phone and wiped the sweat off his forehead. It's finally over, he thought. That was the weirdest thing he'd ever experienced in his entire life. Some EducateThySelf-level stuff for sure. He stood up from his couch and approached the bathroom sink and mirror to wash his face and process whatever the _hell_ he'd just experienced. As he was wiping his face, he took a look in the mirror. He couldn't see well without his glasses, so, as he put them on, he was shocked about how he had seemingly aged a year or five throughout the last few hours. Luckily for him, there were no grey hairs in his dark brown hair, which would've been easy to spot, but his green eyes were bloodshot from all the stress and exhaustion, and his usually smooth face was a weird mix between white and red. His hands were still a bit shaky, and his usually good posture gave in to a weird half-hunched position. Usually, he would consider himself quite attractive, but after what had happened just now, he could swear that if he met himself out on the street right now, he would cross to the other side.

Suddenly, he heard the sound that he was hoping he'd never have to hear again. Anna's phone was ringing, and the incoming call screen said it was Taylor.

\- Hello! It's me again, sorry for disturbing you again after all that mess. Anna wants to speak to you, and you still have her phone.

Well, fair. It's not like he wanted to hold onto that thing for any more time. Besides, it was someone else's property. 

\- Hello?

\- Hi! It's Anna. Thank you so much for rescuing me! I owe you big time. You do still have my phone, though. Could you please come here and return it back to me? I think you already know where I am.

\- Yes, it's the central building. I'll be there in twenty minutes.

\- Oh, by the way, what's your name? You rescued me and Taylor and we don't even know it.

\- Randall, - he said reluctantly. He was hoping he'd never have to meet those people again.

\- Thank you, Randall! We'll meet you there in a few.

\- Stay where you are. I'll find you myself.

He couldn't go out looking like this, so he combed his hair and changed his shirt. He was fairly athletic, but not too buff; fairly tall, but not too tall; fairly handsome, but not boy-toy levels of handsome. So, after tidying himself up, he was looking presentable and even towards the sharper side, which was definitely good for him: in case it's all been a clever ruse and the police would be waiting for him outside the building, at least he'll make a good impression.

You can fix your hair and change your shirt all you want, but cleaning up your thoughts is an entirely different process. And Randall's thoughts were a mess. As he was waiting for the bus at the bus stop, he was feeling several different things. He was feeling relieved that the fate of two people were no longer his problem; he was slightly annoyed that the entire thing wasn't over yet and now he had to go somewhere and do something; however, there was another feeling he couldn't quite process. The Simulacra. Who is the Simulacra? Where did it come from? What did it want, and, most importantly, what did it want from _him?_ Why did it let two people go on a whim, just like that, despite telling him that all of them are worthless worms in its eyes anyway? He was sure that he'd never want to encounter the entity ever again, but some part of him was weirdly content and even pleased with the actions of the unknown creature. Despite never wanting to see Anna, Taylor or anyone else involved in this story, he begrudgingly admitted to himself that he would rather like to see the Simulacra once again - as long as it doesn't try to assimilate him on sight, that is. He was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't even notice Ashley trying to call the phone four times.

***

The Simulacra didn't go anywhere after its relative defeat. For some weird reason, it wasn't even upset about losing two worms in one day. After all, those weren't the worst worms it had seen: both of them actually had potential to become stronger (and maybe get assimilated later). The main focus of all the thoughts of the Simulacra was Pretender. Why did he come to the rescue so suddenly? How did the phone end up in his hands? The Simulacra was observing him for the entire time he was in possession of the phone, and despite all its attempts to prove otherwise, it reluctantly accepted the fact that it liked what it saw. This worm was not like the others: intelligent, persuasive, manipulative. His ability to create convincing illusions was truly remarkable. And his physical appearance helped convey the image perfectly. It was not characteristic of the Simulacra to pay attention to the worms' physical features, however, this one was indeed a unique case. After some great consideration, the Simulacra came to the conclusion that simply assimilating him wouldn't be a satisfactory outcome of the current situation. It required a _special approach_.

***

Pretender managed to make it to the central building just on time. He could've called Taylor to tell him to take Anna and come down, but he wasn't in the mood for waiting or explaining. So he just walked upstairs and turned several corners, and soon he was standing on the exact balcony where Anna and Taylor had been waiting for the last twenty minutes. He approached them and Anna practically flew towards him.

\- Thank you, Randall! Thank you so much! You saved our lives! - Anna said, her eyes watering. 

\- No problem, - he answered rather awkwardly.

\- Yeah, thanks, bro, - Taylor shook his hand.

\- You too. Here's your phone.

He handed Anna her phone, said his goodbyes and went off. The only thought he could think at the moment, with all that had happened within the last 24 hours, was "I need a drink." And just like that, he headed to the nearest bar, despite the fact that the weekend was days away.

Meanwhile, Anna was trying to reach Ashley on the phone, The reception inside the building was pretty bad, so both her and Taylor were still confined to this very balcony they've been staying on for god knows how long. The first thing Anna saw were all the missed calls from her best friend, which she instantly decided to return.

\- Ashley? Ashley! Can you hear me?

\- Oh my god, Anna! I've just seen the news. They said that you were missing and Greg was on the run. Oh my god, - she sniffled, obviously holding back tears, - oh my god, Anna! I thought you were dead!

\- Don't worry, Ashley. I'm fine now. Just get your car and get here. We're in the central building, we'll meet you near the entrance.

\- I can't. I've had a but too much to drink to be driving now... and I've already called the police. We'll be there soon, just go downstairs and we'll all come get you. 

And just like that, Ashley ended the call. Anna would've been angry any other day, but today Ashley was her guardian angel. The last thing she wanted, now that she had just understood the importance of life, was to lose it because of her drunk best friend behind the wheel. Then she decided to take a closer look through the phone. She's been missing for several days and must have plenty of unanswered messages from worried friends and family. Instead, she found much worse. Firstly, there were various conversations with various people: conversations she didn't have with people she didn't know. Reading through a conversation someone pretending to be her had with her best friend was truly painful; but it wasn't even the worst thing she had discovered. 

The phone was constantly glitching. Apps were starting and closing on their own, the gallery had corrupted images and videos, as well as videos she didn't remember taking, the phone was making noises, and the Anna on her wallpaper was now smiling. Anna was getting more and more scared by the moment, now holding her phone as if it was a poisonous snake. Taylor noticed the change in Anna's facial expression and stepped forward.

\- What's wrong?

And then it hit her.

\- Taylor... the phone is still possessed. That... thing, the thing that took us... it's still inside...

Anna, now looking completely terrified, raised her hand that was holding the phone.

\- What are you doing?! - Taylor shouted. - You've just gotten it back!

\- I don't want it like that! - she cried.

Anna threw her phone down the balcony. A faint _plop_ could be heard in the distance.

\- I'd rather buy myself a new phone... hell, I'd replace ALL the tech i have, i just don't wanna see this thing again in my entire life!

\- Ok, ok, - Taylor approached her carefully. Anna broke down crying. - It's all gonna be alright, Anna, - Taylor hugged her gently and she hugged him in return. - It's over, the cops are gonna be here soon. Let's just get downstairs.

***

Several hours and even more drinks later, a very drunk Randall had finally stumbled back into his own home. As he sat down to untie his shoes, his own phone buzzed. He'd gotten one new message. As he opened it up, his eyes shot open, his heart began to race and he was instantly sober. 

_**\- IT'S NOT OVER FOR YOU YET, PRETENDER.** _


	2. Properly Acquainted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Simulacra undergoes an unusual transformation. James Aulner gets rescued and Taylor makes new friends. Anna and Ashley deal with relationship problems. Yolanda tries to mend fences and Cassie gets nervous. Ellen Rayman finds a home.

When an extremely powerful digital entity is interested in you, it’s hard to believe that it’ll just let you off the hook for good. The case of Pretender and the Simulacra was no different. It was still in Anna’s phone, and, after it decided to follow a specific worm, as opposed to going from one worm to another, it was carefully listening in on his surroundings and conversations, waiting for him to slip up or reveal any useful information. And unfortunately for him, Pretender had just made the mistake of putting the Simulacra-riddled Anna’s phone in the same pocket as his own mobile device. Transferring itself from one phone to another to find out more about the victim was a thing that the Simulacra could easily do, and it did just that. However, after a quick search through the phone, the Simulacra decided against settling there: now that it could return to the phone at any moment, it didn’t want Pretender to find that out yet. After all, he was a very clever worm. So it went back into Anna’s phone; besides, it was interested in finding out what happens next to the worms it had freed previously. The Simulacra could tell that Pretender was slowly approaching the meeting point with both of the phones still in his pocket, so it seemed like the finale of this ludicrous story was finally afoot. 

However, as Pretender exited the bus and started going toward the central building, something bizarre started happening. The seemingly almighty digital entity started feeling weaker with every step he was taking towards the building. The phone started heating up, and various images started flashing in its conscience. A sunny evening; a flowing dress; a broken heart; neverending pain, worthlessness and trauma. Pictures of the life it used to have and had desperately tried to forget throughout the last several years.

\- No! I can’t allow it! - the Simulacra said inside its virtual head. To its utter horror, it had discovered that its voice was gradually losing some of the reverberating effect it had, and it was also sounding more... high-pitched? - What is happening?

To its utter horror, the voice change wasn’t the only change the Simulacra seemed to be undergoing. As Pretender was approaching the building, it felt like it was having… _feelings._ All sorts of feelings. It was worried, and scared, and disgusted, and angry at the same time. And somewhere behind all those things, the Simulacra was feeling happy. Like a high school girl that had just received a message from her crush. It undoubtedly felt like a lot after not feeling anything for so long.

Pretender took out the phone once again, without even noticing the fact that it's gotten warmer, or the massive panic that seemed to be going on inside the phone. He looked at it, as if considering calling someone, then huffed and put it back in his pocket. Then he started to slowly walk upstairs.

The Simulacra was utterly shocked at what was happening inside its mind. It felt like being mentally torn apart by different feelings all at once. Fear, affection, self-hate, hope, regret flooded its conscience all at once. It could’ve screamed, but it was too afraid to hear its new voice. It didn’t even pay attention to the fact that Pretender had already given the phone back to Anna and was now heading back to the bus stop. Suddenly, Anna started dialing a number on the phone, and it seemed to get Simulacra’s attention back.

As Anna was calling and talking to Ashley, Simulacra took a look around the place. An uncannily low balustrade, looking more like a ledge. A magnificent view over the town. A secluded balcony, as if built specifically for a… date. This was the exact place the Simulacra was hoping it’d never have to see again. Memories were coming back, one by one, feelings were changing one another, and the Simulacra itself was panicking like a captured bird, knowing for sure that whatever’s going on, it won’t end well for sure. The phone couldn’t conceal the distressed entity much longer and started glitching; and that’s exactly when Anna looked at it and decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. As the phone was flying down, closer towards the ground where James was lying, Simulacra’s mind exploded into a million painful pieces, and with a blood-curdling shriek, it was no more.

***

The shift manager at Faris and Kane was growing impatient. Yolanda was usually the most organised employee of all of them, but today, she was running late for her clock-out time. “I’m paying her to deliver clothing and footwear, not to chat with her friends on the way back!” - she was getting angrier and angrier by the moment. Suddenly, the door opened and Yolanda carefully sneaked in.

\- And what time do you call this, young lady? - the shift manager asked with a stern look.

\- I'm terribly sorry, Ms.Wilson. It won't happen again, - Yolanda replied quietly, approaching the counter to hand in her badge and footwear bag.

Ms.Wilson had always liked Yolanda for remaining professional even in dire situations. Even now, when she had obviously made a mistake, she just owned it, without blurting out any half-baked apologies or excuses. The shift manager took a second look at her, this time, a more merciful one, and she made a mental note to herself that her employee was looking rather distressed. People who spent some extra time chatting to a friend don't look like that; this wasn't an "afraid of a write-up" look, too: her face displayed utter horror as if she'd just seen a ghost.

\- Are you ok, Yolanda? - Ms.Wilson asked. - You look scared.

\- I'm fine, - she replied. - My phone just had a very weird glitch, and I have some very important files there.

She wasn't exactly lying, but it wasn't the truth, either. Her phone did indeed glitch, but it wasn't a matter of losing a file or two: it was opening apps on its own, pictures she didn't take appeared in her gallery, and it was... speaking. She could've sworn she heard a reverberating male voice coming from the speakers once.

\- Sounds horrible, - the manager said, - you know how much important stuff we have in our phones nowadays. Not to mention the amount of creepy situations where a phone call can literally save your life.

\- What do you mean?

\- I mean I'd rather not have my phone glitch out on me in the middle of my workday. I have to go back to Three Ponds District every single day, and that place's riddled with thugs. I wouldn't want to end up like that Anna girl.

\- Which... Anna girl? - Yolanda asked.

\- Haven't you heard about it already? It's all over the news. She broke up with her abusive boyfriend, so he tracked her down and kidnapped her. Now she's still missing, and he's on the run. Greg Summers was the prick's name, I think. - she said, turning her back to the counter and starting to pick up her things.

Yolanda felt like the ground was slipping from under her feet.

\- S-Sorry... I have to go... - she stuttered.

\- Goodnight, Yolanda. Be careful. - the manager replied, her back still turned to Yolanda, which was a good thing, because otherwise Ms.Wilson would definitely notice how her employee's face had suddenly lost all its colour.

***

The Simulacra had finally regained its consciousness. However, it was quite displeased to discover that all it could see was darkness. Maybe the phone was lying on its screen? It tried opening its eyes - and it worked! The Simulacra saw the evening sky, the start lighting up one after another, the trees rustling gently, the tall white building with its balconies.

Wait.

_How could it open its eyes if it didn't have any?_

The entity started slowly feeling around, finding out that now it had hands, thin hands with tiny palms. Another analysis concluded that it was now in possession of a pair of short and chubby legs, both of which had high-heeled beige shoes on. Having arms and legs usually comes with the disadvantage of having a body; and it had one, a bit chubby and very hard to control. As the Simulacra started to slowly and clumsily rise up, it felt long hair tickling its open shoulders and back. Then it turned towards the glass building to look at its new reflection. It saw a young woman in her twenties, below average height, a bit chubby but not overweight or obese, wearing a dark red dress and the aforementioned beige heels. She had long dark hair, tanned olive skin and two sad, dark blue eyes. This body wasn't new to the entity: in fact, it was quite familiar with it. It was a shard of its past life, a reminder of its downfall.

\- Oh no, - she said. Her voice sounded a bit raspy, but generally, it was an average female voice. No reverberating, no glitching, just a normal voice of a twenty-something year-old woman.

Simulacra looked at the spot where she has been lying for god knows how long. There was Anna's phone, almost unscathed, a little clutch bag the colour of her dress, and... another body. James. Suddenly, Simulacra experienced immense guilt and sorrow, as she slowly remembered what happened to him. She rushed to him and started frantically feeling for a heartbeat. Luckily, there was one.

\- James! James! Wake up! - she started to slowly slap his face. Shaking was definitely not an option, considering the height that he fell from.

\- What happened? - he muttered, slowly regaining his conscience. - What am I doing here? Who are you?

\- What do you remember? - she asked, helping him sit up.

\- I was going out on a date, but then I was kidnapped.

\- Kidnapped? Oh my god! - she replied, a bit relieved that he didn't remember the entire "digital entity assimilating people" detail. - Do you remember them? Maybe you wanna press charges? 

\- No.

\- Why not? 

\- You won't believe me if I told you. - he replied, shaking his head.

\- Tell me. I won't judge. - she said. She needed to know how much he could remember.

He sighed and reluctantly continued.

\- Because the thing that took me wasn't human. - he said in a low voice.

\- Go on. I believe you. I've had my fair share of such experiences, too.

\- What kind of experiences? - James asked.

\- I'll tell you mine when you tell me yours, - she replied. He sighed once more.

\- I think that I was claimed by a digital entity called the Simulacra.

Crap, Simulacra thought. He remembers everything. But it's not like she could do anything about it now: she definitely wasn't going to kill him again.

\- Don't worry. I believe you. You're gonna be fine, I promise.

\- What makes you think so?

\- Because I was taken by the Simulacra too.

\- What happened to you, then? - he asked, with a hint of shock, disbelief and relief and the same time.

\- Went out on a date with a guy named Jake. Apparently, there was no Jake. The rest is history.

\- I understand, - James said.

\- We should get out of here, - Simulacra said, getting up, picking up her bag and offering James a hand. - Let's get to the main entrance and catch a bus.

\- Wait! - he said, getting up. She froze in her tracks. Was he onto her? Did he figure out who she actually is?

\- What's your name? - he asked. Simulacra let out a sigh of relief.

\- Ellen. Ellen Rayman, - she said.

\- Neat! And I'm James, - he shook her hand. 

The Simulacra felt like she'd taken a liking to this guy. It was a very weird feeling to have for someone who had spent the last several years of their life as a malicious digital entity, but it was still there. While assimilating him, she had discovered a few traits which she deemed unworthy back then, but was completely fine with now: he was kind, genuine, a bit shy and dorky and very devoted. Simulacra sighed and decided to take it upon herself to make sure James is getting safe back home tonight. She slowly started to turn the corner towards the main entrance, making sure James was tailing behind. As they made it to the stairs of the main entrance, Ellen noticed two people sitting on the stairs: a man and a woman. Anna and Taylor. She headed towards them and gestured for James to follow her. 

\- Rough day, huh? - she asked, while approaching them.

\- Yeah... Wait, who are... - Taylor started, but he was interrupted by Anna.

\- Oh my god! Is that James Aulner? The guy I told you about?

\- Yeah... - James muttered, turning red.

\- He's innocent, - Ellen said defensively. - He's just another victim of the Simulacra, just like you too.

\- Oh my god, - Anna said. - Did that... thing assimilate you?

\- Yes, - Ellen and James replied.

\- Wait, how did _you_ know? - Anna asked.

\- She's also a victim, - James said.

\- One of the earlier ones, - she added. - I've managed to transform into a spectator of some sorts, and I witnessed it all unfold.

\- You've had to see so many people die! - Taylor exclaimed.

\- Must've been awful, - Anna agreed.

\- I got used to it, - Ellen replied. An awkward silence started to form.

\- Which reminds me of something that actually happened to me, - Taylor said suddenly.

\- Did you have to watch someone die too? - Anna asked.

\- No! Not at all - Taylor said with an awkward smile. - I've been catfished a few times, that's it.

\- Come on, tell us, - Ellen said in an unexpectedly friendly tone. - We have to wait for our bus anyway, why not kill some time? Tell us your story, Taylor.

She took a seat on the stairs next to Anna, and James sat right next to her. Taylor started telling the story of how he'd encountered a woman who presumably wasn't that good at fitness, but was exceptionally good at Photoshop. Ellen started to like those people: Taylor, funny, sociable and outgoing, and Anna, clever, careful and independent. She couldn't believe that she considered _them_ the worst of people: they were quite pleasant, especially compared to the rest of humankind. At one point she started getting cold; James gave her his jacket. And that's how they spent another half an hour, sitting on the stairs, laughing and telling stories. Ellen didn't tell any, but she was very pleased to listen to actual people and feel the warmth of their company (and James's jacket). Everyone was slowly unwinding, finding it hard to believe that it was finally over. James was in the middle of telling about his bad run-in with his Phresh Ideas boss, when suddenly they heard cop cars in the distance.

\- It might be the cops Ashley called! We have to go, - Anna stood up on the stairs.

\- There are cops here? - Ellen asked, visibly disturbed.

\- Yup. What's wrong, do you have to hide a body in the backyard real quick? We could help, - Taylor suggested, smiling from ear to ear.

\- Don't tell them anything, - she said with a completely serious expression. - Even you, James. Tell them you have memory loss or something.

\- Why not? - Taylor asked. Anna and James looked perplexed.

\- If you will try and spin a story about kidnappers or some stuff like that, they will double-check you into admitting you lied. And if you tell the truth, they won't believe you and will eventually admit you into a psych ward. And our psych ward is not a nice place to be admitted to, trust me.

\- Have you been there? - Taylor said.

\- No, but I used to know someone who has. 

Ellen turned to James.

\- Look, - she whispered, making sure no one else could hear. - I know it's a lot to ask, but could you please tell them that I'm just a passer-by who found you? Don't say that I'm also a victim.

\- Ok, but why?

\- Because I've been missing for a few years. My case is pretty much cold now, and that's if they haven't closed it already. I'll have a harder time explaining it to the police than you guys.

Then she went up to Anna and handed her the phone.

\- Judging by the wallpaper, I believe that it's yours.

\- No, thanks, I'm good. - Anna shook her head.

\- Don't worry. It works just fine. James' phone had the same problem, but now it's gone.

The cop cars approached the entrance. Everyone stood up. Anna saw Ashley practically jump out of one of the cars and run towards her with open arms. The two hugged, and Anna introduced her to the rest of the group. Ashley was curious about everything: who are the newcomers, what happened to Anna, who, what, when, where. Anna asked her to wait for her in the police station, so she could explain after the interrogation. As the cops were leading Taylor and Anna towards their car with Ashley in tow, one of the cops noticed James. 

\- Hey, are you James Aulner? - he asked.

\- Yes, sir, - he replied.

\- You're gonna have to come with us as well. There's been a missing person's report regarding you. And you, miss, what is your name?

\- Ellen Rayman, sir.

\- Do you know Miss Rayman? - the cop turned to James.

\- Not exactly. She found me out cold in the bushes and helped me get to the entrance. Then, we found those two and decided to wait for the police all together.

Ellen couldn't help but notice how good of a liar James was. She would definitely like to hang out with him once more, nothing romantic, just friendly conversation.The rest were good too, but James, as she had reluctantly admitted, had reminded her of her younger self. Maybe that's the reason why she was feeling protective of him: maybe she wanted to protect him from experiencing the same things that she h...

Ok, she said to herself. Don't go there. You've been a human for a few hours and you've already shown all the human weaknesses you were so desperately trying to escape. However, another voice piped up: "You're already as human as they are. Just relax and enjoy the moment. And the new friends." After great consideration and a look towards Anna, Taylor and Ashley, sitting in a cop car and James being led towards another cop car, the second voice won. She was now human and there was no way to reverse it.

\- Miss Rayman? You'll have to proceed with us, too, - a cop said. 

***

_"Exclusive offer! 50% off on Faris &Kane footwear!" _

_"Up next on West Bandrika Music Charts: "The Girl Who Loved" by Mina D'Silva!"_

_"First ever international FlapeeBird match tragically ends with a fistfight!"_

Cassie was lying on her bed, mindlessly clicking through channels on the TV. CassieCon, the first official Jabbr-sponsored event she had held, was approaching rapidly. In fact, it was scheduled for 12PM the next day. And she wasn't ready. No, she wasn't prepared at all. It wasn't about the music, or the lights, or the venue - everything's been thoroughly planned out months and months ago. The only setback she had was the psychological side. After that case with James Aulner she was genuinely terrified of meeting her fans. Who knows, how many of them are just the same as him? They could be hackers, or stalkers, or stalker hackers... or hacker stalkers... Who knows? For all she knew, the actual James Aulner could show up. And that weird glitch that popped up on her phone wasn't helping, too.

Another mindless click on the remote.

_"Breaking news: Two missing people found! Anna May Jensen and James Aulner found near Springwood Town Center, both alive. Two passer-bys found them both separately: Anna stranded inside the building, James lying on the ground. James has been reported missing two weeks ago, Anna - for a day. Anna's best friend Ashley, who had helped conduct the search, claims that all the time she was absent someone was using her phone to communicate with Ashley and other people Anna knew. There are no new suspects in the case, but Greg Summers, who is a person of interest, is still nowhere to be found. He's presumed to be on the run."_

\- "James Aulner?" - Cassie thought. - "Was he missing too? The convo happened a few days ago... They said someone else was hogging the girl, Anna's, phone... Maybe the James that was talking to me wasn't James too?" 

She stood up and turned off the phone. You have no business stressing out over this, Cass, she thought. You have a convention tomorrow and you still can't find the guts to walk on that stage and talk to people. James Aulner is the least of your problems right now. 

***

After the interrogation, Ashley, Anna, James, Taylor and Ellen decided to go catch a bus on the nearest bus stop. The weirdness of the situation - and their collective fear of the cops - seemed to bring them closer, but there were a few bumps.

\- So, you're saying that you didn't have your phone when I confessed that I have feelings for you?

\- Ash, I honestly don't know what you're talking about. 

\- Fair. I'd still love to know how you feel about me, but...

\- Ashley, I'm terribly sorry, - Ellen interjected, - but Anna's had quite a day today. I don't think that she's in the right mindset to answer this question.

"When have I become the defender of humans?" - she thought to herself.

\- No, Ellen, it's fine. Ashley is one of the reasons I'm here, safe and sound. She deserves to have an answer.

\- Fair game, - Ellen said. Anna stopped and so did the group. She gently held Ashley by the shoulders.

\- Ashley, you're my best friend. The best friend I'll ever have. I don't want to lose you, like, ever.

\- I understand, - she said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

\- Sadly, I can't return your affection in the same way you like me. But I will try my best to help you. 

\- I understand, - Ashley said again. - I know I'm not entitled to your love.

\- I love you as much as a friend can love a friend. I'm sorry.

\- Don't worry. It's not your fault you like guys, - Ashley wiped her tears and smiled a weak smile. Then came the awkward silence, that lasted about a minute.

\- So, we ok? - Anna asked carefully.

\- We ok. - Ashley said, still looking a bit sad. - You still up for CassieCon?

\- CassieCon? You're going there too? - Taylor piped up. 

\- Yeah! Yes we are! - Anna said, visibly relieved Ashley didn't make a scene out of her rejection. - Actually, we could go all together!

\- I like the idea, - James said. - Ellen?

She stopped to think for a moment. Yesterday she would chastise herself for even a thought of associating with worms. Weak, worthless and disposable, they bore no significance to her. But seeing how well Ashley handled the rejection, she once again reiterated that while there were worms, there were people too: and these were no worms. These were people: kind, gracious, intelligent, interesting.

\- Count me in! Where's the convention again?

\- Springwood Hall. It's at twelve o'clock.

\- Meet me there at eleven.

\- Isn't it too early?

\- That way, we can get more... properly acquainted.

***

Yolanda was cooking dinner at home when she saw the same news Cassie had seen: the announcement about Anna and James. She felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. 

\- "At least she's okay," - she thought. She had been thinking about Anna's disappearance since she heard the news from Ms. Wilson. - "Come to think about it, he probably got angry at her because of our affair... Oh my God," - she suddenly realized, - "I could've been the reason Anna died!"

Despite some bad blood between her and Anna because of Greg, it's not like she hated her or anything. Definitely not to the point of wishing death upon her, that's for sure. In fact, she's been admiring Anna's concentration and ability to work a highly demanding job. She seemed so organized, whereas Yolanda was constantly feeling under the weather because of her inability to find a job that would fit her better than a position of a private shopper at a mass-market clothing chain. Being around her catty coworkers every single day, having to listen to their comments and gossip was driving her crazy, and as days went by, she kept longing for a better position than this one. At this point, seemed like anything would do. All the job-related frustration was building up and ended up in this affair that not only solved none of her problems, but actually added more. Anna wasn't a bad person, and she wasn't at fault for Yolanda's personal problems. There was no reason to stay enemies with her over some dude who turned out to be a complete douchebag. Besides, when she would finally apply for a position at FaradaySafety, she'd rather not have Anna blocking the way.

\- "Hello, Anna! It's Yolanda. I've just seen the news, and I'm very sorry about what Greg did to you. It's good that you're back safe. I'm also sorry for what I've done to your relationship. If I would've known he was with you, I'd stop immediately. Would you like to meet and talk about it? I'll completely understand if you don't. I just don't think that Greg is worth arguing over."

Sent.

***

\- So, where are you planning to go? - James said, after Taylor's bus closed its doors. - You've been missing for years. Do you have a family?

\- I do, but I don't think they will be glad to see me.

\- Why not?

\- They think I'm dead.

\- Don't be so negative.

\- No, James, you don't understand. My mom disowned me for going out with Jake, and we haven't spoken since. She said I'm dead to her.

\- I'm sorry. That sucks, - he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. A second later, his face lit up. - Hey! I have an idea!

\- What is it?

\- You can crash at my place. I've got space and food for both of us, and I'll help you find a job. 

\- Thank you, - Ellen's eyes were welled up with tears. - James... Why are you helping me? What do you want to get in return?

\- You helped me, and I'm helping you. That's what friends do. Besides, you're disowned, probably dropped out of college too, so do you have any better choices?

She just shook her head. Being a weak, small human means constantly relying on others. Will they give you money? Will they rent you a place to live? Will they sell you food for the amount of money you can give? All of those questions would never bother The Big Bad Simulacra, but she wasn't The Big Bad Simulacra anymore. She was a human, a tiny little human with human needs, and this guy was willing to help her just like that. She cried and hugged him, and he hugged her back.

So they went to James' place, and Ellen cooked dinner, because she felt like it was the least that she could do for this guy. He was so kind, compassionate and selfless! She couldn't even imagine why she would want to assimilate him, of all people. However, there still was one thing she couldn't stop thinking about: Pretender.

She unlocked her phone, opened up the Messenger app and punched in Pretender's phone number, which she had memorized from lurking in his phone earlier that day. She couldn't think of a good opener, so she just went with the classic:

**_\- IT'S NOT OVER FOR YOU YET, PRETENDER._ **


	3. Bad Vibes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellen applies for a job. An influencer convention and a callous attack cause the formation of an alliance. Simulacra tries dating. Weird things happen.

It was a wonderful summer morning. The leaves were rustling in the gentle wind, the sun had already risen and now was shining over the town of Springwood. The town was slowly coming to life: people going to work, birds singing in the trees, dogs barking and chasing cars, an ancient feral cat lying in a sunny spot, eyes closed. As good as it was, this morning wasn't so wonderful for James Aulner, who'd just woken up and realised he'd forgotten to set his alarm clock. There goes my breakfast, he was thinking, as he started running around, frantically trying to make his bed, brush his teeth and put on his clothes at once. Then he remembered what had happened the night before and froze in his tracks. He was rescued from the virtual claws of a relentless digital entity, met a lot of very nice people and helped a fellow victim in need, and now the victim in question was temporarily living with him. Besides, it was Wednesday, and on Wednesday Phill Phresh allowed his employees to come in one hour later (of course, if they leave one hour later, too).

"Speaking of Ellen, where is she?" - James thought. And just as the thought had crossed his mind, he heard a door open, and the wonderful smell of bacon and eggs - the ultimate breakfast smell - started filling the room.

\- Morning, - she said. - I heard all the commotion and thought you might be up already. Come on, breakfast is waiting.

\- Good morning! - James beamed at her. 

He followed her into the kitchen. The table was already set: bacon and eggs, still hot, piping hot green jasmine tea in two big mugs, all the silverware in place. They sat down and James watched Ellen wolf down her meal.

\- You must be hungry, heh, - he noted.

\- Well, I was when I woke up. I thought I should whip up something to eat, and then I realised that you would be probably hungry too. 

\- Thanks for the breakfast, then, - James replied, - I thought I was gonna be late for work. I hate our snack vending machine, but when you're late, it's your only option. 

\- Good thing you aren't late anymore, then, - she said.

\- To be fair, I think I have an extra hour and a half now that you've made me food. I forgot I wasn't supposed to be up THAT early.

\- So, what do you wanna do now? - Ellen asked.

\- Deal with you, of course, - James said.

\- What do you mean?

\- Well, we need to find you some clothes. You don't have any friends you can borrow clothes from?

\- No, - she replied. - And even if I had, I've been missing for two years. 

\- Fair, - James said. - I'll give you my t-shirts and shirts to use, but I don't have any skirts or dresses.

\- Thank you, - she said. - I'm not the skirts type, either.

\- You can use my jeans, then, - he said.

\- James, you don't have t-

\- Do you have any better ideas?

\- Fair game.

\- Ok. Another thing I'd like to discuss is, you have to find a job. Do you have any ideas?

\- I don't, honestly. I was supposed to go to UC, but-

\- UC? _That_ UC? - James interrupted.

\- You mean the University of Cunningham, right? - Ellen said with a bewildered look.

\- Yeah! It's, like, the coolest university of West Bandrika! - James replied. Ellen could swear she saw stars in his eyes.

\- Welp, I _did_ apply there and I _did_ get my admission letter. Never got to study there, though.

\- Neat! What did you want to study?

\- Cyber safety. I've always wanted to try IT.

\- IT?

\- Well, web development. Even apps, maybe. Cyber safety was just easier to apply for, and you can always transfer.

\- Smart move, - James smiled.

\- I'm not that good, but I figured, it's okay as long as I'm open to new possibilities and ready to learn... Now I'm starting to think it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, - Ellen sighed. For a digital entity that refers to deception as the ultimate strategy, she's been telling a lot of truths lately. Well, consider it another part of being a human.

\- Yeah, sounds a bit ironic.

After a short pause, James said:

\- You know what? I'll take you to my workplace with me. I'll ask my boss if we can make some room for you.

\- Didn't they... fire you? - Ellen asked.

\- I know Phill. The moment he sees me. he'll take me back. I'm one of the best Phresh Ideas has ever had, and it's his own words verbatim. 

For the first time in seemingly forever, Ellen smiled. She didn't know James was that persistent. She also didn't know that someone could be that persistent AND a good person at the same time.

\- I don't have a resume... or a diploma... or experience, frankly.

\- Don't worry. Phill will find a place for you. If anything, you can do janitorial for now and try again later. You just need a job, right?

\- Yeah, - Ellen said. It's not like she could counter that.

\- Oh, another thing. You do have a phone, right? Let's exchange numbers. 

Ellen pulled out her phone, and James started dictating numbers. Then she did the same.

\- Wait. I already have an Ellen in my phonebook. A girl from HR. Do you have a nickname?

\- Nope, - Ellen said. - Not one that I like, anyway.

\- What's your last name again?

\- Rayman.

\- Like the game character? - James asked.

\- Oh my god. I've been teased for it throughout both elementary and middle school.

\- That sucks. Are you OK with being addressed by your last name, though?

\- I'm used to it. Besides, that way, no one knows if I'm a man or a woman until they actually meet me.

\- Rayman... Ramen... Ray! Would you like to be written down as Ray?

\- Sounds sunny, - she replied. - I'd like that.

An hour later, a strange sight could be seen in the head office of Phresh Ideas. One of their top employees, who's been presumed dead, had entered the building nonchalantly, as if it was just a regular work day, and was now confidently strutting towards the office of the CEO himself. He had a young woman in tow, wearing a black two-piece suit, a plain white shirt, beige heels and burgundy lipstick. Her costume wasn't out of the ordinary, especially in the workplace, but the secretary of the CEO, Shannon, could swear that she had seen James wearing the exact same outfit (minus the heels, of course) to a few meetings.

\- Phill? - James asked, knocking on the door, then instantly opening it and sticking his head into the room. Phill was sitting at his desk, working at his computer, but the second he heard James' voice, he jerked his head up.

\- James... You-You're back... What h-happened? - he muttered.

\- I suddenly felt bad in the bathroom and decided to leave, - James said, entering the room, gesturing for Ellen to stay outside. She sat down on the nearest bench and he closed the door behind himself. - I thought I'd call you when I'm home, but I passed out in the street. Guess I was drugged, abducted or assaulted, because I don't remember anything.

\- You were missing for two weeks... I thought you were-

\- Yeah, I know. But I'm back. Is my position still open?

\- Yeah. Still open and yours. We haven't found anyone as good as you. There was this girl, Anna, but she didn't return the call, and, frankly, I'm not hiring a total newbie off the streets now that you're back.

\- Thank you, Phill. You know how much I love Phresh Ideas, - James was beaming with pride. - Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favour.

\- What is it? 

\- I have a friend, - he said, opening the door. Ellen slowly rose from her bench and walked clumsily into the room, a bit nervous. - Her name is Ellen- 

\- Nice! Just like our HR agent.

\- Yeah, just like her. Look, Ellen was kicked out of her own house and she needs a job, quick. She's a student of UC so she gotta be good.

Ellen nodded stupidly. Too many awkward situations even for someone who went from "malevolent digital entity" to "failed college student" in a day. 

\- She's studying-

\- Shh, James, - Phill did the "shut up" gesture. - I'll ask her what I need to know. Hey there, Ellen! - Phill called out. - What do you wanna do here at Phresh Ideas?

\- Well, i'm not the BEST student, definitely not a prodigy-

\- I don't care what you're not. Tell me what you are.

\- I'm... - Ellen started. She had no idea what to do or say. Why would James put her in such a situation? Why did he take her here? Is he-

No, she said to herself. James isn't the one to blame. He's literally saving your butt right now, Ray, she reminded herself. The nickname indeed sounded nice. She shot a look at James and saw him sneakily giving her the thumbs-up.

\- I want to try IT. Namely, web development. Apps, too. I'm very new to the entire industry, but I'm willing to learn. If not, I could, I don't know, do janitorial for now and try again later. I just need a job, - she exclaimed rapidly. 

\- Good enough.

\- Just like that? No resume? - Ellen said, utterly confused. James was smiling, and Phill was, too.

\- I know James very well. He wouldn't just bring someone from the streets in here. If James is vouching for you, you must be good. Besides, I ve heard the three things I wanted to hear.

\- What are those things?

\- First of all, you know what you want. Second, you are open for new possibilities. And lastly, you don't give up easily.

\- Thank you.

\- Here's a description of a task our IT department is currently doing, - Phill handed her a piece of paper. - If you can do it, you're in.

\- I don't have a laptop, though, - she said. 

\- It's ok. You can come here.

\- Thank you, Mr...

\- Phill. Just Phill.

\- Thank you, Phill. Thank you so much, - Ellen said, feeling tears form in her eyes.

\- You'll thank me when you get the job, - he said. - Now, could you give me and James a minute?

***

As Yolanda was approaching Anna's workplace, she started doubting the rationality of her actions. She was trying to make amends, but did Anna want it? It could turn into anything - from a chill friendly hangout to a catfight. Yolanda wasn't good at making friends: women didn't like her that much, and men were willing to have some casual fun - but nothing more. She had never felt the need to reach out first - and with her day-to-day job, her life was slowly becoming a routine. Maybe she could use some friends, after all, but how do you find them? "How will Anna react?" - Yolanda kept asking herself over and over. - "Do I need to call the police or to order donuts?" 

While she was carefully considering each option, one of the doors of the building opened and Anna walked out. She spotted Yolanda instantly and went towards her.

\- Hello, Yolanda.

\- Hello, Anna, - she said nervously, voice shaking, head low. - L-Look, I'm sorry about what happened with me and Greg. I didn't know you two were dating. When he was breaking up with me and he told me about you, he kept saying all those nice things about you... I felt guilty for deceiving such a nice person... I-You might not believe me, but I'm honestly not the homewrecking type.

\- I believe you, - Anna said calmly. - Greg wasn't worth it anyway.

\- True, - Yolanda replied, raising her head slightly. - I've seen the news. 

\- It's not all true, though, - Anna replied. - He wasn't the one who abducted me. Someone else did, but I don't remember who. I've already told the police. I've cleared him.

\- Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't, - Yolanda said semi-seriously. - That asshole made us both suffer!

\- Yeah, but he doesn't deserve, like, actual jail time, - Anna said. - He's still an asshole, though. If he was missing, I would uproot the town, and he just decided to peace out.

\- How did you get back, though? Just curious.

\- A stranger found my phone and helped me.

\- Weird. But lucky, - Yolanda said. - I'm happy you're safe. I wouldn't wish another woman death over some guy.

\- Especially that kind of guy, - Anna chuckled. - He forgot my birthday! Twice! What a jerk!

\- Oh my god! - Yolanda laughed. - I know I'm not the one to say anything in this situation, but when he was breaking up with me, he didn't even have the balls to do it face to face!

\- Frankly, I'm happy I'm not with him anymore. I think that if it wasn't you, he'd still find someone else to screw around with. Someone who wouldn't even mind being the "other" girl... You, on the other hand, look too cool to be someone's side chick. 

\- You think so?

\- Yeah. Love the dress, by the way.

\- It's one of ours, - Yolanda replied. - That's the only perk of working for Faris and Kane, but sometimes I find stuff so good it makes up for all the Karens I meet.

\- Considering the fact you work retail, - Anna said, - you probably have some crazy work stories.

\- I do!

\- You wanna meet up sometime and tell them?

\- Sure. I'm going to CassieCon today, though...

\- You too?

\- Yep. 

\- Anyone with you?

\- No, just me.

\- Wanna join our group, then? - Anna asked. Yolanda was slightly amused, but decided to go with the flow.

\- Of course.

\- Let's catch a bus, then. 

\- Why? The convention is at noon.

\- We wanted to meet up early, so we won't get lost when there's a big crowd.

\- Smart plan, - Yolanda said. Did Anna just invite her to hang out?

\- Ok then, let's go catch that bus, - Anna said, checking her phone.

Yesterday this girl probably wanted to kill her and now they're out and about together. Yolanda had a weird feeling about it, but for some reason, a part of her brain kept repeating the same words over and over:

"You've made the right decision." 

***

James and Ellen were standing in front of the venue, waiting for everybody else. Taylor texted to say he was on the bus, Ashley said she was on her way too, but Anna still hadn't told where she was - only that she was bringing a new person to hang out with. As James and Ellen were trying to guess the identity of the sudden guest, Taylor showed up.

\- Hi! - Taylor said, reaching for James' hand. As they shook hands, Ellen spotted Ashley. It was starting to get a little crowded already, so she started waving her hands for Ashley to see. She seemed to finally notice the group, as she returned the handwave, and started moving towards them. Ellen turned to the group and saw Taylor doing in for a "hello" hug. She awkwardly reached out a hand to shake. Taylor shook her hand and gave her a pound hug.

\- You don't like hugs, do you?

\- Well... not the biggest fan. - She decided to change the subject. - Where's Anna? Has anyone seen her?

\- I hope she's alright, - Ashley said, - and didn't peace out on me because of the entire "feelings" thingy.

\- She said she'd bring someone new, - James noted.

\- I hope this "someone" is pretty, - Taylor giggled. Ashley hit him lightly on the back.

\- Taylor!

\- Yeah man, tone down the thirst, - Ellen said, shaking her head. Why are all humans so hellbent on relationships?

As they kept talking, a bus pulled up. The doors opened, and Anna and Yolanda emerged from the crowded bus.

\- Hi! - Taylor waved. Ellen and James waved, too. Ashley, however, was looking flustered.

\- Hello... - she said.

\- Hi, - Yolanda said.

\- Guys, this is Yolanda, she's gonna be joining us today, - Anna said. - We had some problems in the past, but we talked them out, - she continued, looking directly at Ashley, - and we decided to get to know each other better.

\- Hello then, Yolanda, - Ellen said. James did a little "hello" gesture. The group started to head inside, and Taylor instantly positioned himself next to her. Ellen could swear she heard him making a corny joke. 

\- Hey, Ellen, everything alright? - James asked.

\- Yeah, everything's fine. What's wrong?

\- You've been looking kinda... off, since that interview. Did Phill say something you didn't like?

\- No! No-no-no. Phill is an amazing employer and I can't wait to work for him. If I manage to get this task done.

\- Oh! You're probably worried about the task! Don't, Phill's not a monster. I went AWOL for two weeks and he just took me back. He's gonna go easy on you, I swear.

\- I sure hope he is, - Ellen said. She was, indeed, worried about the task, but it wasn't the only reason. While waiting for James, she did something risky - something she thought she might regret later.

\- Anna? - Ashley called out quietly. - Why did you bring her here?

\- She reached out to apologize. Said she saw the news about my disappearance and got worried that Greg did something to me. I don't want to make enemies with someone just because my asshole ex lied to the both of us. 

\- Wait, what?

\- What? Greg lied to her. She didn't know he was taken. And then, when he got discovered, he dumped her over voicemail.

\- What a prick, - Ashley agreed. - Guess Yolanda isn't that bad of a person.

\- I really hope so.

\- Just don't become best friends with her instead of me now, - Ashley chuckled awkwardly.

\- Don't worry, I won't. I love you more than anyone else.

\- "Yeah, but not the way I'd like you to," - Ashley thought. She wasn't in any position to be _that_ territorial, and she knew that, but it's not like one can just get rid of their feelings in a day.

The convention should have had started already, however, time kept flying by, and by half past noon the star of the show was still nowhere in sight. People were starting to get irritated, some were even considering leaving. Fifteen minutes later, a very distressed young woman rushed onstage. Her white top had a small stain on the side, and her blue jeans were ripped - more ripped than ripped jeans could be. She was still trying her best to look confident, and she was even doing fairly good, but a hint of horror was still visibly seen on her face. Everyone started cheering, and Cassie finally took the floor.

\- I'm sorry for being late. All the traffic, you know? - she said with a slight chuckle. People cheered and clapped even more.

She started the convention by thanking everyone for getting there and saying how much her fans meant to her, while demonstrating a little rewind presentation. Then Cassie recounted the results of her AMA, showcasing the best questions and answering them. Then came all the promos, and she decided to call a one-hour break for the guest presenters to prepare for their performances. Cassie walked offstage slowly, and, now that she wasn't in the spotlight, she didn't bother keeping up the facade. This day was already going awry, and the large crowd wasn't helping. "I'm getting major bad vibes from all this,"- Cassie thought, - "Might as well grab some tea in the nearest coffee shop to help calm myself down". So, Cassie went for the dressing rooms: she needed to change both her clothes and her mindset.

Meanwhile, Ellen and her group were wondering what to do next. The convention had lots of artists and crafters, foods and drinks, hobby clubs and everything, so the choices were plenty. However, the majority decided that they would like to have lunch.

\- Where should we go, though? Ray made me a decent breakfast, so I'm not hungry, - James said.

\- Ray? - Taylor said.

\- Oh, - Ellen said, looking as if she's been just put out of a trance, - I forgot to tell you. James gave me a nickname earlier today, right before we went to his job. By the way, I'm not hungry either - that bacon and eggs worked their magic. I'd like to grab a bite though.

\- All those convention foods are very pricey, - said Yolanda. - I'd rather we step out and eat somewhere else.

\- That makes sense, - Anna agreed. - There's a nice coffee shop around the corner, but we'd have to cut through the inner yard near the staff exit of the building. 

\- Isn't it a little... dangerous? - James said.

\- It's daytime, James! - Ashley laughed. - Besides, there's six of us. It's not like someone's gonna attack us all at once.

\- Let's go, then, - Ellen said, turning towards the exit. 

\- Wait! I wanna check out that artist over there, her style looks cool! - Ashley said, already pushing past people.

Cassie sneaked out of the staff exit. She was now wearing skinny white jeans and a black crop-top, both pristine. In her right hand, she was clutching her pride and joy: her Aluren mini backpack. Now that she was looking better, she started feeling better too. The stuff that happened to her earlier that day was insane, but it was over, and things like that don't happen twice.

Unless they do.

One moment, the inner yard was quiet and calm, and the next moment Cassie saw a large, dark figure lunging at her. The figure resembled a human, but it was looking a little pixelated and didn't have any facial features. Its face had long red lines running down from the top instead, thin lines that were looking like scars. The figure stretched out a glitchy, pixelated hand. Cassie wanted to scream, but she didn't think she could.

\- What do you want? - Cassie whispered in fear as if the air had been drained from her lungs. - You've been following me since this morning. What do you need?

The figure kept stretching its hand out.

\- Do you want my Aluren backpack? Take it. Take it and leave me alone!

She put her backpack into the hand. The creature threw it aside and stepped closer.

Ellen's group was cutting through the yard when she saw Cassie being attacked by something. Something very large, very glitchy and very familiar. Ellen's head suddenly started to feel as if it was overheating. The human in her was screaming for her to stand up for Cassie, and the Simulacra in her wasn't so keen on the idea. She took a look at her group and realised that none of them could see what was going on. Confronting the assailant may result in making herself look like a fool, which the little human in her definitely didn't need. _Not again._ Unless it wasn't the _human_ speaking...

Ellen stepped forward, took a deep breath and yelled: "Hey!"

Everyone turned their heads at once. The assailant stepped back from Cassie, as she dropped on her knees. 

\- What the hell is that thing? - Yolanda asked in disbelief.

\- Whatever it is, Cassie had already found out. And she doesn't seem pleased. We should help, - Ellen said. She took off in the direction of Cassie, and the group followed suit.

The figure took a good look at them - as good of a look as someone lacking eyes can take - and, probably having decided Cassie wasn't worth the trouble, it disappeared into thin air.

\- Are you okay? - Taylor asked. - Did it hurt you?

\- No, but it sure as hell hurt my jeans, - Cassie growled. - Thank you all for stepping in. I don't wanna think about what it could've done if it wasn't for you guys.

\- Glad to be of help, - Ellen said. - Did it take anything?

\- No. It threw away my Aluren backpack, though... It's somewhere in the grass. I'll look for it.

\- I could help you! - Yolanda said. - I own one, too.

\- Hey, someone's a brand connoisseur, - Cassie chuckled, returning to her "influencer" self. 

\- Well, I work at Faris and Kane. I'm a shopper, but sometimes I have to work at the cash register - we're low on staff right now, - Yolanda stepped over the railing and went for the lawn.

\- Another job option for me, - Ellen whispered to James.

\- I think I've seen you before. I've done collabs with F&K, - Cassie said, joining Yolanda.

\- I was head of shift that day.

\- Cool! Do you remember that manager with the tackiest outfit EVER?

\- Yeah. She wasn't a nice person, either. 

As Cassie and Yolanda kept on searching - and bonding in the process, - Ellen took a look over her group. Luckily, no one was hurt (just confused). 

\- Ok, what the HELL was that, - Anna said. - Did everyone see the same glitchy thing?

\- Yeah, that was like the embodiment of bad vibes, - Taylor guessed.

\- I think I might know what that was, - Ellen lowered her voice. - Maybe it was the Simulacra.

Someone gasped quietly. James frowned.

\- Are you sure? - Ashley asked.

\- Think about it! It lost four people during one day. Now it would want to get someone very date-able to get back on track. And, considering how Taylor's been practically salivating since the moment she arrived, it picked the right target.

Everyone, including Taylor, let out a laugh of relief.

Ellen was lying, of course. It couldn't have been the Simulacra. She was the Simulacra. However, the form that thing took did remind her of her Simulacra days. What the hell were they dealing with?

Wait, she said to herself. There is no "we". And we're not "dealing" with anything. We're not some tacky superhero team with power suits and stuff. We're just hanging out as a group, occasionally, only to return to our mundane lives later.

\- Thanks, Yolanda, - Cassie said as her backpack was handed back to her. - That thing, it didn't exactly do anything, but I'm telling you, you guys have saved my LIFE right there.

\- You should get bodyguards, - Ellen noted.

\- I was actually considering that idea, especially after that James Aulner thing.

\- What James Aulner thing? - Yolanda asked.

\- He messaged me on Spark a few days ago and revealed some of my very personal info. Probably was stalking me, too. Next thing you know, he's all over the news, apparently he's been missing for two weeks and someone else was hogging his social media.

James stepped forward.

\- Cassie, I'd like to say I'm sorry for scaring you.

\- It's okay. It wasn't you who scared me after all.

\- I hope that the creep didn't do anything worse than that.

\- No. Besides, no matter how creepy, no human can beat Mr.Glitchyhands here, - Cassie said. - I'm gonna need something stronger than tea after this one. Do you guys wanna keep me company? You seem like a fun group, besides, you actually saved my life.

***

Several hours later they were all in a bar, drinking and chilling. The stressful situation - as well as the alcohol - had brought them closer, and they were chatting as if they were close friends. Cassie's jeans have been saved - courtesy of Anna's wipes, - and even the Aluren bag was back with its owner, safe and sound. 

\- I know it's not the best question to ask, but I just can't get it out of my head. What WAS that thing? - Cassie said.

\- You're not drunk enough to hear about this, - Ellen said with a serious look in her eyes.

\- I absolutely am. I mean, I ve seen this and experienced this first-hand.

Ellen sighed. The "we" thing was happening, and out of all of them, she was the one with the weirdest background. And her experience was telling her that if the freak doesn't take the lead in a group, the freak's gonna and up an outcast within it. Let's start with a little fearmongering, she thought.

\- Well then, - she said. - There was no creep who knocked James out on his way back from work. And Anna's boyfriend, albeit a dick, played no part in her abduction. They were both taken by the same entity.

\- You mean "person"? - Yolanda asked.

\- I mean "entity". That thing wasn't human, and Cassie can back me up on that. Am I right, Cassie? 

\- Hell yes you are.

\- So. There's an entity on the internet that goes around kidnapping people and absorbing their personalities into itself. Then it uses the face of the absorb-ee to lure in another victim. And its name is the Simulacra.

\- Sounds scary, - Yolanda said.

\- It is. Me, James and Anna were all claimed by it at some point. Taylor saw it with his own eyes, too.

\- And I regret that a lot, - he chuckled.

\- You know what? Any other day I'd think it's an urban legend gone too far, but after what happened today, I do believe you. - Yolanda said.

\- Me too. Anyone who doesn't, should tell it to my bag. And my jeans, - Cassie added.

\- What's worse is, there might be a possibility that it will come back for us again, you know? - Anna said. - I thought it just let us go and that's it, but apparently, that thing's feisty.

\- Yes. Yes, there is, - Ellen said. - Since I was absorbed for two years, I've gotten to know its habits. Now that it has had a look at all of our faces, we've got a big fat target on our backs. All of us.

\- Rayman's right, - Cassie said. - It followed me throughout half the town.

Ray wasn't even fearmongering at this point. Whatever this entity was, it sure as hell knew who she was. Besides, she didn't spare Taylor and Anna to allow someone else to scoop them up like loose crumbs. Neither Ashley, nor Cassie, nor Yolanda seemed to deserve assimilation too. And if someone, human or not, would threaten James after all he's done for her, she would actually fight them to the death.

\- So, what do we do? - Ashley said.

\- Yeah, Ellen, what do we do?

\- We stick together. We're each other's bodyguards now.

\- Nice idea, - Cassie said. - You know what, I was planning to go shopping soon. Yolanda, can you come with me?

\- I can't today. Sorry, work stuff.

\- Ok, I could try tomorrow.

\- Yeah, tomorrow's way better.

\- Ashley, we should get back to work, - Anna said.

\- You're right. Sorry guys, but I think we'll have to go.

\- Don't worry. I have a convention to close. Yolanda, don't leave me.

\- I won't, - she laughed. - Guys, what about you?

\- I can't, - Rayman replied. - I have a work task, remember?

\- Do you need help, maybe? - James asked.

\- No, I'm good. Like you said, Phill will probably go easy on me.

\- Yeah, I'd rather go back to CassieCon, - Taylor said. - James! You could be my wingman.

\- No, YOU could me MY wingman, - he shot back. Everyone laughed.

As the group was leaving the place and Ellen was turning to leave the group, James tugged at her shoulder.

\- Hey, Ray...

\- Yes, Jay? - she smiled.

\- Jay? Nice, - he said with a grin. However, his face changed into a more serious look a second later. - Are you sure you wanna go alone?

\- Yeah, I think I can do this. Look, I'm not its prime target anyway. I was absorbed two years ago! I doubt it even remembers that I exist.

\- True. Good luck, Ray.

\- Good luck, Jay. 

The moment James, Cassie, Yolanda and Taylor turned the corner, Ellen stopped and took out her phone. She shot a quick message to somebody and then turned and went in the opposite direction from where the Phresh Ideas office was.

"- Meet me near KingOfWaffles, the one in Springwood Park."

***

"- I'm here."

Ellen's phone lit up, showing this exact message. She shot up immediately and looked around. Then she spotted _him_. Fairly athletic, but not too buff; fairly tall, but not too tall; fairly handsome, but not boy-toy levels of handsome. Pretender was standing there, dressed in a suit, his hair combed to one side. Her heart jumped as she instantly experienced a weird feeling, something akin to... attraction? Ellen took a deep breath and started approaching him.

\- Greetings, Pretender, - she said with a slight grin.

\- Simulacra? Is that... you? - he gasped. 

\- Exactly. Is something bothering you?

\- N-No! - he said nervously. - I just didn't think you would look so.... human.

\- Well, I couldn't just pop out of your phone looking like a Rorschach test now, could I?

\- Yeah, seems legit, - he backpedaled quickly.

\- Are you comfortable with this form, though?

\- Yeah, you look... really nice. - Pretender said, still slightly nervous.

\- Good, - Simulacra replied. - "It's not like I could come up with anything else, " - she thought to herself.

They slowly started walking through the park, occasionally sitting down near the pond to feed the ducks. Being very cautious about revealing anything compromising, Ellen chose to interrogate him - and he wasn't shy about his answers. He was something of a computer genius - at least, that's what he told her - and was working as a developer for Rainforest Shipping. Any of his questions she deflected with a sly grin and something along the lines of "it's far too complicated for your puny worm mind", said in a playful and teasing tone. Surprisingly, it worked - from her point of view, he was so smitten that he could believe anything at this point. As for Ellen, her past experiences, both as the Simulacra and herself, were telling her to keep as far away from relationships other than platonic. However, in this case, she couldn't help but feel drawn to this person. As time flew, she felt more and more of a connection between them and she could swear that he was feeling the same. 

As they were on their way out of the park, his phone rang. He answered; however, his replies only consisted of bland yes's and no's.

\- My doucheboss wants me in the office. I should go. The day was amazing, though! Can't wait to see you again, Simulacra.

\- The feeling is mutual, Pretender.

She couldn't believe her eyes. She actually managed to pull this off! Not only isn't Pretender suspicious of her, he actually feels something FOR her! Good.

***

Half an hour later she was sitting at an almost empty office in Phresh Ideas, chewing on a sandwich. The task was quite simple, actually. James was right: Phill was probably going easy on the newbie. As she was pushing her final commit to the repository, Shannon approached her.

\- Hey, Ellen... it's Ellen, right?

\- Yup.

\- Look, there's something I want to tell you. You seem like a decent person so I wanna give you a little heads-up. This task he gave you, it has a little trick to it. You're not supposed to actually COMPLETE it, he just gave it to you to see how much of a hard worker you are.

\- Huh? Weird, because I've just completed it. 

\- What? - Shannon exclaimed, her auburn eyes now wide open and mouth agape. - You're a genius, Ellen! I have to call Phill.

\- Hey, can I ask you a question first?

\- Yeah, go on?

\- Can I check my email on this computer, please? It's really quick.

\- Yes, of course! Just try to avoid hacking into the National Security Department's Top Secret file database and getting us all arrested, okay?

\- Thanks! I'm not a genius, though. I just... knew how to do it, I guess?

Shannon hurried off, dialing Phill's number. Ellen opened up her personal email, however, as Shannon turned the corner, she opened SafariSearch and typed _"University of Cunningham personal belongings return policy"_ into the search bar. Half an hour later she had sent a perfectly composed request to release all her personal belongings to the following address - James' address - having also added the relevant quotes from UC housing protocols and a couple "you might need a lawyer after this conversation" implications. When Shannon had finally returned to the office, she only saw the computer - properly turned off - and a small note:

_"Sorry, had to go. Got a delivery waiting"_

***

Two hours later James returned home to some warm Mac'n 'cheese in a pot, a few boxes labeled "Special Delivery" scattered around the room and a beaming Ray sitting on her bed on her phone.

\- Hey, Ray! I thought I'd see you at work after the convention, but when I dropped by, you weren't there.

\- Yeah, I stopped to grab some coffee on my way to work, and then I went on a walk in the park.

\- And what's this special delivery of yours?

\- Some of my stuff from my college, - Ellen replied, her grin still present. 

\- How did you get them to send it to you so fast? 

\- Believe me, I was _very persuasive._

 _-_ And how's your work task doing?

\- I've already uploaded the final version. It was quite easy, apparently.

\- Weird, - James said. - Phill usually likes to mess with the recruit a little...

\- You said he'd be chill, though!

\- Look, it's not like he goes hard on them, he just... adds a little mind-twister. To see if you're actually a good fit for the team. That's what his tasks are for.

\- Well, maybe he forgot the mind-twister in mine.

\- Maybe, - he agreed. - Hey, can you pass me my charger? My phone's almost out and Phill might call soon.

Ellen went for the charger, grabbed it and gave it to James. As their hands touched, though, something weird happened. James's face contorted for a second, and Ellen felt a little charge of electricity on her hand.

\- Ow.

\- Sorry! - he said, plugging his phone in. - Static electricity. Let's go eat.

While Ellen was eagerly munching on her food, James, usually very hungry, was barely eating and seemed lost in his thoughts. 

\- Ray... 

\- Yeah, Jay?

\- I wanted to ask you something.

\- Go on?

\- Is everything alright? I feel something... weird coming from you.

\- What, like bad vibes?

\- No! Not bad. Just... bizarre. I could've sworn you reminded me of Debbie from _The Double Life of Debbie Lynne..._

\- What?..

\- There was that movie about a stay at home mom who was also an international secret agent. You've just strongly reminded me of her for some reason. 

\- Well, maybe I do look like her, though.

\- No! You don't. It's just your... vibes. Attitude. I honestly don't know.

\- Weird. Guess it's just a very weird day - for all of us.

\- Agreed.

***

Anna had always considered herself a sound sleeper; however, this night she was having trouble falling asleep. A flock of nocturnal birds had found shelter under her window and their chirping and squeaking was starting to become tiresome. Anna tried shooing them away, but, being the animal lover she was, she couldn't bring herself to poke them with a stick or anything like that. Tobias, however, did take interest in approaching the sudden guests: his loud meows were doing just as good of a job keeping Anna awake as all the bird chatter. Things like this have happened before, but there was something off about this time: it might have been her exhaustion speaking, but Anna could swear she had heard actual human speech among the chirps and the meows.

During lunch break, Anna managed to find Ashley in the break room.

\- Anna! - Ashley lit up and hugged her best friend. As she took a closer look at Anna, her facial expression changed from "happy" to "slightly concerned". -You're looking tired as hell, is everything alright?

\- Well.. actually, no. I've had zero sleep today. 

\- Is it because of those birds again?

\- Yeah, the birds came back and Toby's been going crazy. This time it's been worse, though.

\- Worse? How?

\- I could hear human speech outside my window.

\- Maybe it was one of the neighbours?

\- No. I know all of my next-door neighbours and neither of them speaks like that. Couldn't have been a party, too. The sounds were coming from directly under my window.

\- But you live on the third floor!

\- Exactly! It's so weird.

\- Don't worry, maybe it's just a weird day. I think I'm having one, too.

\- What happened?

\- I was on my way to work and my bus drove by, - Ashley started, gesturing with her hands to show the movement of the bus. - It was almost at the bus stop, but I was far from it and couldn't make it on time. I thought "hey, I'd like to be on that bus!" Next thing you know, I'm standing at the bus stop and the same bus is approaching.

\- So, you somehow ended up ahead of the bus?

\- Yup.

\- Are you sure it was the same bus?

\- Yeah. It had a funny license plate: F4T-4S5. I would've laughed my butt off if it wasn't so bizarre. 

\- You're right, it IS bizarre, - Anna said with visible confusion, - And what does your fitness bracelet say?

\- It somehow didn't track my movements! It was tracking fine after I got on that bus, and it was tracking before I saw it the first time, but in between those moments - nothing. It's as if I just... teleported from one point to another.

\- Jeez. My head hurts from all this.

\- Maybe it's from your lack of sleep.

\- I think I should get coffee before I pass out on my desk.

\- Yeah. Good idea.

***

\- So, what do you think about that sweater? - Cassie asked.

\- Big no. It's so not my colour type, - Yolanda replied, fake shivering.

\- Yeah, you're like the most Winter-looking Winter I've seen! And that sweater is so Spring.

\- Spring or maybe Summer? Anna would look good in it, I think.

\- It's baggy, so I doubt anyone would!

Cassie and Yolanda have been shopping for several hours, but their catch wasn't that impressive: a pair of shoes for Cassie and a tshirt for Yolanda. So it's safe to say they were quite exhausted when they entered another shop. This one was, presumably, on clearance: racks and racks of clothing with tempting price tags, shoppers lining up near the fitting rooms and a big pyramid of shoeboxes in the middle.

\- 80% on shoes? Jeez, we should've gone here first, - Cassie said. - Maybe I'd find something cheaper than those, - she waved the bag she had in her hand.

\- I might find something for myself, too! - Yolanda lit up, going past the pyramid and towards the women's footwear section. Suddenly, Cassie heard a faint voice inside her head: _"Those boxes are gonna fall. Warn her."_

\- Yolanda! I think the boxes are gonna-

_Crash._

The large pyramid collapsed, boxes falling over, a couple of shopping assistants yelping and rushing towards them. Yolanda was standing there, safe and sound, pale as a ghost. All the boxes that fell were now in a cart that was standing next to her. 

\- Are you ok, ma'am? - one shopping assistant asked.

\- I'm-I'm good, - she replied, still pale and weirded out. She grabbed the nearest box for some reason and went up to Cassie.

\- Oh my God. I think I've just escaped death, - she exhaled. - Did you see it?

\- Yeah. I even tried to warn you.

\- Yeah, I heard... I don't know how all those boxes ended up in that cart, though.

\- Wait, it wasn't you?

\- No! When they started falling, I reached out a hand... then everything was hazy for a second... I just don't understand...

\- I don't understand it, either, - Cassie said, visibly struggling to remember something. - I somehow knew the boxes were gonna fall before they actually did.

\- Maybe it was common sense? 

\- Or paranoia.

\- I mean, every time you pass something that big, you start thinking about how it's gonna fall down. Maybe I just don't pay attention to big box pyramids because I see them every day.

\- Maybe that shopping cart thing was your work reflexes taking over?

\- Yeah, maybe. Either way, let's go. I don't think I'm gonna buy anything now.

***

Taylor was bored. Like, actually bored. The line at the store seemed immense and he didn't even have a lot to buy: just a bottle of beer and some chips. He somehow managed to forget his headphones at home so he could only hope that the cashier would hurry up. He took a peek at the register to see who was working. Just his luck: Ms. Jones was working the cash register that day. She was officially renowned as the Shoppers' Horror: being her always grumpy self, she took no returns, would roll her eyes and scoff when you try to cancel something, wouldn't help you open the bag if you buy one, would always give you attitude and, most importantly, she always asked for ID when you were purchasing alcohol or cigarettes. You might be someone's grandma, you might have silver hair, you might have a full-grown beard, and she will still ask to see some ID - and god forbid if you had none. She had had a few run-ins with Taylor so it was safe to say she knew his name - and in that case, it wasn't a good thing. He did try to bury the hatchet - in fact, he even gave her a ride to work once or twice - but she still refused to acknowledge the fact that he was an adult when it came to buying alcohol.

Taylor's turn was coming up. As he had nothing better to do anyway, he started checking his pockets. Just as luck would have it, he didn't have his passport on him, and his driver's license was in his car. He didn't want to go back and wait in this enormous line with no music once more, so he just crossed his fingers and hoped that, by some sort of miracle, Ms.Jones would go easy on him.

\- Hey, Ms. Jones.

Ms. Jones didn't reply. She looked away, scanned his chips and took the bottle.

\- May I see some ID? - she said.

\- Look, Ms. Jones, I have my drivers license in my car. You know I'm way over eighteen since we ran into cops when I was giving you a ride. Just sell me the beer and I'll pop into my car and get my drivers license for you. I just don't wanna hold up the line.

She lifted her head, giving him her famous "are you kidding" look, and opened her mouth to say something. However, as she looked into his eyes, her face expression and demeanour changed mid-word.

\- Are you... oh, Taylor, it's you! Don't worry, I remember you're of age. Take your beer, young man. Would that be cash or card?

What the heck, he thought. Ms.Jones has never done that before.

\- C-Card, - he stuttered, still finding it hard to believe. He paid, took his chips and beer and left.

What a weird day, he thought. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one feeling that way.


	4. Rangers Assemble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellen gets a boyfriend. Greg gets some action with Anna. The cat is out of the bag. James reveals a conspiracy unfolding.

Days flew by, and summer was coming to an end. Back to school sales were starting, pumpkin spice latte started showing up in menus, it was raining every now and then, people were returning from their summer holidays. However, to Ellen, every day felt like a warm and sunny afternoon in the middle of June. Every day after work she came to Springwood Park, spring in her step and a gleam in her eyes. She was in love and she could care less about anything else.

\- Randall! - she called out. He ran towards her and embraced her.

\- Ellen... it feels like it's been months.

\- We spoke yesterday, silly, - she smiled and blushed. He took her hand and they slowly started taking a stroll through the park.

\- You know, it was a very good idea to give you an actual name. God knows how the people would react to me yelling "Simulacra!" out loud.

\- Yeah, Randy, you're right. It's not like "Pretender" is a good name, either.

They were slowly heading towards KingOfWaffles. As they approached a table, Randall pulled out a chair and sat Ellen down, then carefully placed himself on another chair.

\- Before we order, I have a small gift for you.

He pulled out a small box and gave it to Ellen. She opened it and let out a tiny gasp. Inside was a thin silver chain and a packet of small charms.

\- A charm bracelet? Oh my god, it's amazing!

\- Better, - he said. - It's a charm _necklace._

\- Thank you thank you thank you thank you! - she said almost ecstatically. Ellen jumped up from her seat and hugged him. He started stroking her hand almost awkwardly.

\- Everything alright?

\- Well, you're the first person to give me something that beautiful.

\- Hm, I didn't know simulacrums liked jewellery, - he chuckled. - I'm glad you like it, though.

\- It's so beautiful and shiny! Hold on, let me put it on.

Ellen carefully picked out some charms from the packet: a dark red heart, an emerald star, a few silver beads and four letters: an E, an R, an R and a G. Then she assembled the necklace and put it on.

\- ER&RG?

\- Ellen Rayman and Randall Gallagher.

\- Nice last name, Rayman, - he said teasingly. - Didn't know you were a gamer.

\- No, it's my actual last name, - she protested.

\- Simulacrums have last names, too? The more you know...

\- I mean, some of us definitely do... - she mumbled. - Anyway, this necklace is gorgeous. Now let me order something for the both of us.

\- _You_ want to order? 

\- Well, you've probably spent a ton of money on this beauty already, - she said apologetically.

\- Are you kidding? It's a gift. Don't worry.

A few hours later Ellen returned home, heart soaring, necklace still on her neck. However, as she approached the door, she carefully took off the necklace and put it into a hidden pocket of her handbag. Then she opened the door.

\- Jay! I'm home.

\- A bit late, - James emerged from the kitchen, holding a ladle. - Another one of your midnight strolls?

\- Oh, shut up. It's not even midnight, - she laughed. 

\- We're having soup tonight, - James decided to change the subject. - And then we're watching _Debbie Lynne Season 1._

\- The housewife slash international operative has her own TV show?

\- Hell yeah, - James said. - I heard it's a good watch.

***

James was feeling uneasy. Something just wasn't feeling right. It all seemed to start when Shannon, who usually greeted him with a friendly smile and a chirpy "Hey!", gave him a concerned glance and a worried "Hello..." instead. A few minutes later, when he had just started his workday routine, she walked into his office, which he shared with two fellow copywriters, Julia and Howard, and said in a serious tone:

\- Phill wants to see you.

Phill was usually a very casual person. If you felt sick, you could just call in for the day instead of "dragging your coughing butt to the doc", as Phill would say. If you overslept, you would get no write-ups, as long as the work was done by the end of the day. However, James was having a very strange feeling about this meeting.

\- Hello, Phill, - he said, walking into his office.

\- Greetings, James, - Phill responded seriously, while looking into James' eyes. To his horror, James noticed the unusually stern and serious expression on Phill's face. - I regret to inform you that due to certain circumstances I'm placing you on probation, effective immediately.

\- Probation? But why?

\- Sadly, I am unable to disclose the details. However, this is only a temporary measure regardless of the outcome.

\- Temporary?

\- Meaning: you'll either be reinstated, or fired.

James just stood there, completely shocked.

\- That's all I wanted to say, - Phill continued. - You can get back to work now.

"Great, just great," - James was thinking on his way back. - "Shannon's all moody, Phill's talking like the owner of West Bandrika National Bank, and now this probation thing. What else could go wrong." As he entered the office, he saw that both his coworkers had already arrived.

\- Hi, guys, - he said blankly. - Guess what, Phill put me on probation.

\- Why? - Julia asked. - And what for? And until when?

\- He didn't say, - James said. - Said I might end up fired, though.

\- Don't worry, James, it's gonna be alright, - Julia smiled. - Phill isn't the one to fire someone out of nowhere.

\- Yeah, man, you're the best in our department! - Howard added, turning from his computer. - There's no way Phill's gonna actually fire you.

The door suddenly opened to reveal Shannon standing there.

\- James? - she called out. - Phill wants you to get him coffee.

\- Get him... coffee? But isn't that kinda... your job? No offence, - he replied, completely flummoxed.

\- Well, Phill explicitly said he wants _you_ to do it.

\- But I don't even know what he likes! - James protested.

\- He said he'll leave the choice up to you. Here's the money, you can keep the change, - Shannon handed him a bill. He awkwardly put it in his back pocket and stumbled out with a faint "Be right back".

\- "Keep the change, she said... Welp, might as well get something for myself." - James thought. He took out the bill to see how much exactly he had in his budget. - "A twenty? But the coffee's, like, three, tops! Why are they doing this?"

Half an hour later he returned, coffee in hand. He dropped off Phill's coffee first, then went back to his office, hoping to discuss the strange occurrence with everyone over some cookies he had picked up on the way back. 

\- Guys! I'm back. Got some cookies for you, - he said, plopping the bag onto the table.

\- Thanks, James, but.. I'll pass, - Julia said. - I'm on a diet.

\- Yeah, me too, - Howard said. - I don't eat those. You should probably take the whole pack home.

\- O-Ok, - he said. - I will. I do have other food at home, though.

\- Well, it's always good to save stuff for later. In case something bad happens.

\- Yeah, after all, you still might end up losing your job.

\- Why would I? You've just said Phill would never fire me, remember? - James said. Something was definitely wrong.

\- Well, never say never. Things happen, you know? - Julia laughed nervously. - My cousin Jemma went to UC, that poor girl, she wanted to become a politician. Next thing you know, she got drunk at a party and crashed a car into a hospital.

\- Well, I'm not planning to drunk drive anytime soon, - James said sharply. - I'm a good employee, and Phill has no reason to fire me whatsoever, Now if you'll excuse me, - he reached for his headphones, - I'd like to get back to work.

\- Hey, James, - Howard said. James took off his headphones. - If you do end up losing your job, I know a guy. He can secure you a spot at EducateThySelf.

\- Thanks, Howard, - James said blandly. He put his headphones back on and started typing. However, even over the typing and the music he could hear Juila say "Poor James..."

*** 

Anna took her coffee from the bar and went back to her seat.

\- So, - Ellen asked. - Since we're all here, I'll ask you the thing I've been waiting to ask for, like, the last few weeks. Has anyone else experienced anything weird recently?

Everyone started talking over each other all at once. Ellen put her hand up.

\- O-Ok, let's go one at a time, please. Ashley?

\- I'm all over the place.

\- That's regular Ashley stuff, anything NEW? - Taylor said. James gave him a hefty push.

\- No, like, literally. I think I'm actually teleporting places. My fitness bracelet is going crazy these days.

\- Ok. Teleportation. Yolanda?

\- I've taken some stuff from places I can't reach. Not that it's a bad thing, but knives are scaring me even more now.

\- So, telekinesis. Nice. Anna?

\- Me and my cat are literally, like, best friends, - Anna said. Ashley scowled at her, but no one noticed. - I think I can hear his thoughts. And when he's meowing, it's like he's speaking to me.

\- Animal language! Good. Taylor?

\- I can make people do what I want. Like, literally. But I don't know if it's the powers or just my natural charm.

\- Oh my god. Mind control. That's hella dangerous, - Ellen said, concerned.

\- Yeah, especially in Taylor's hands, - Anna said. - I won't be surprised if he ends up getting himself a girlfriend that way.

\- As if I needed mind control to get a date, - Taylor scoffed, clearly hurt.

\- Well, you're on Tinder... - Cassie spoke up.

\- Ok, ok, let's not go there, - Ellen said, doing a timeout hand gesture. - Cassie, what's your shtick?

\- I can ALMOST predict things. Like, I know it's gonna happen, but when it happens, something is off. For example, I know that someone's gonna spill their coffee on me, and then someone spills their TEA instead.

\- So, you're like a prophet, - Ellen said.

\- More like a 50% accurate prophet. Guess it's in my name.

\- Interesting. James?

\- Well, it's a bit like Anna's thing, but with humans.

\- You can understand _human_ language? - Taylor said.

\- No. I can understand people without speaking to them. I just touch someone and I can understand what they think or what they've been through. It's like I read people's minds.

\- Have you tried doing it deliberately? - Ellen said nervously.

\- Not yet. But I know where to start, - James replied. Ellen could feel her heart drop into her stomach.

\- That's so cool, - Ashley said. - And what about you?

\- I'm unnaturally good with computer stuff. Especially hacking.

\- But you went to UC for something... tech-y, didn't you? - Cassie said.

\- Yeah, but I didn't learn much. I think my hacking abilities came from the same place you guys got your powers.

\- So, we're calling it "powers"? - Taylor said. - Cool! We're like a superhero team!

\- Luckily, there's no one to save, - James noted. - Oh! I almost forgot about my tea! - he took a sip. - This is so good! Why don't we come here more often?

\- Well, - Anna replied, - we don't visit this part of town that much. In fact, we're all here because today's a holiday, remember? Speaking of which, I wanna call my mom. Be right back.

\- "Maybe it's not a good idea," - said a voice inside Cassie's head.

Anna walked outside, her phone in hand. She dialed the number and put her phone up to her ear. The reception was bad, so she started walking along the road, mumbling "come on, come on!" under her breath. Her mother wasn't answering, so she put her phone back in her pocket and turned around. And that's when she saw _him._

\- Anna!

\- Greg? - she gasped. - What are you doing here? I thought you were...

\- Shhh. I want to talk to you, - he whispered.

\- Well, _I_ still don't.

\- Look, I'm sorry for what happened with Yolanda, - he started speaking in his normal voice. - I was a huge asshole without even noticing. I want no one but you. Please, Anna, give me one more chance!

\- Greg, I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble believing you, - Anna sighed. 

\- But I love you!

\- You didn't love me enough to even bother searching for me.

\- I did search for you!

\- No, you didn't, - Anna shook her head. - You skipped town. Someone else found me.

\- What, like that Taylor guy? - Greg frowned.

\- No. The guy that had my phone. He was very nice, I think his name was Randall.

\- You with him now? - he took one step towards her.

\- No! I'm with nobody!

\- But you did something with him, didn't you?

\- No, I did nothing with Randall!

\- Why would you say he's nice, then?

\- BECAUSE HE SAVED MY LIFE! - Anna shouted. - Now let me pass.

\- Anna, I'm sorry! I'm begging you! Come back! Don't leave me! - Greg tried to hold her back. - I can get on my knees if you want!

\- I want you to leave me alone. It's over, Greg.

She started turning her back towards him. Big mistake.

\- I'm not letting you go, - he said as he grabbed her by the shoulder.

\- Let me go! - Anna struggled to break free. She was starting to feel frozen, as if all the life was being drained from her. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. The street was dark and empty and no one was in sight. Blinded by fear, she let out a shriek.

Suddenly, a zap of blinding hot pink light shone throughout the dark street. Ashley appeared out of nowhere, grabbed ahold of Anna and zapped a few meters away.

\- What the fuck? - Greg said. - Ok, I don't care. I've got tricks up my sleeve, too.

He pulled out a large, pointy knife.

\- You girls wanna dance? Ok, let's tango.

\- Tango is a dance for two people, you idiot, - Yolanda said, raising her hand. A bright red aura appeared around the knife and suddenly, she was in control of it. She tilted her hand and the knife slipped out of his hand.

\- You bitch! You're here too?

\- Taylor! - Anna yelled. - Work your magic! Make him leave us alone!

\- I can't! - Taylor yelled back. - Something's blocking me off!

\- He's got some kind of protection on him! - Anna cried out.

\- The asshole came prepared, - Yolanda said. - Guess we'll do it old school.

She made the knife fly towards her, handle forward, then grabbed it in mid-air. 

\- You mean fighting? - Taylor said. - Isn't it better to dip while he's all confused?

\- Well, he's got a knife AND some magic on him, so if we just dip, he might follow us. I suggest we beat him to a bloody pulp so that he knows better than to go after us.

\- Am I interrupting you, GIRLS? - Greg said. Apparently, he'd already recovered from his initial shock and was ready to fight.

Meanwhile, James, Cassie and Ellen, who were staying hidden in a bush nearby, were discussing what to do next.

\- Come on, Jay! Just sneak up from behind and deck him!

\- Ray, do I look like a fighter? - James asked sarcastically.

\- You're way taller than him and he doesn't know you're even here! - Ellen reasoned.

\- I've never fought anyone and I don't think I ever will! - James hissed.

\- You could start now, you know, - Ellen hissed back.

\- Ellen, I don't think it's gonna work, - Cassie said.

\- Cass, don't discourage him.

\- It's not me talking, it's my powers. - Cassie's entire eyeballs started to glow light blue. - I know he won't hit him. I just know.

\- She's right, - James said, taking Cassie's hand. His hand glowed green for a moment and Cassie shuddered a bit, as if from an electric shock. - She's literally just had an insight.

\- Well, I'm not letting Yolanda chop him up to pieces either, - Ellen stated. - I don't know what to do, though! It's not like there's a computer to hack!

She focused on her powers. Not the outcome of using them, but actually her POWERS. Where did they come from? What did they look like? Why does everyone glow when using them? Can you maybe use the glowing for something?

\- Cass! Did you feel a zap of light when James was reading your mind?

\- I think I did, - she nodded.

\- James! - Ellen said. - When you read minds, do you feel any actual energy interacting with you? Or just... mind-reading?

\- I think I do. It feels like electricity.. but less dangerous and more ticklish.

\- Can you maybe zap Greg with the same electricity? 

\- I don't think so.

\- It's just like mind-reading! Only from a further distance and without the mind-reading.

\- I-I can't.

Suddenly, Greg straightened up. He put up his right hand, which immediately started glowing a reddish shade of orange. Anna gasped. Ashley stood in front of her, hands spread wide. "Don't touch her", - she growled. Taylor and Yolanda tried to approach him from behind, but he waved his other hand, putting it behind his back. A reddish shockwave knocked them both down.

\- So where were we?

As Ellen saw him wielding his powers, she suddenly had an idea. Was it possible that if Greg had the same type of powers as James and the rest of us, anyone could also do the zapping thing on him? Well, there was only one way to find out. Ellen stood up, desperately trying to focus. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the direction and strength of her future attack. It was a fairly hard task, not only because of the situation, but because she was heavily doubting herself. Her powers didn't show up when hacking: she just had the result on her hands. So, how could she know they would visually manifest now? And what colour even was her energy?

\- So you have powers too. - Ashley stated, still in her protective pose, looking at Greg with a hateful gaze.

\- No sh-

Suddenly, a teal shockwave appeared from the nearest bush. Ashley grabbed Anna and teleported behind the bush, however, Greg wasn't as lucky. He flew back a good two meters and landed with a loud thump, like a bag full of flour. His hand stopped glowing, and he seemed to be knocked out cold. As the dust settled, Ellen, James and Cassie rose from the bushes. Ashley was hugging Anna, both of them looking startled, but okay. Taylor and Yolanda were still lying where Greg had thrown them, unmoving. James rushed towards Yolanda and Taylor, Ellen went to check up on Ashley and Anna, and Cassie slowly approached Greg.

\- Are you guys okay? - Ellen asked.

\- We're fine, - Anna said. - What about Taylor and Yolanda?

\- They're fine! Shocked, but fine, - James had already helped both of them up and was now helping Yolanda search for her bracelet, which had flown off when she got thrown by Greg. 

\- And what about Greg?

\- He's out cold, - Cassie stated.

\- Good. Let's bounce, - Taylor said impatiently. - He might be back up any moment and I don't know about you guys, but I'm not up for round two.

\- He's even more of a jerk in person, - Ellen scoffed.

\- How did you know? You've never seen him up until today, - Anna said. - Can't say I disagree, though.

\- Well, you've been talking about him a lot. Besides, he IS a liar and a cheater.

\- And apparently a magic wielder, too, - said Cassie. - What the hell was that?

\- We'll find out later, - James said. - Ashley, can you teleport us all back?

\- Yeah, just hold onto me. Especially you, Anna.

***

Several hours later, they were all together at James and Ellen's apartment.

\- You ok there, An? - Ashley asked.

\- Well, I don't even know, - she shrugged sarcastically. - I've been just assaulted by an asshole ex and I couldn't even defend myself.

\- You've got powers! - Ashley said.

\- I didn't use them.

\- You were just scared because he attacked you. We knew you were being assaulted, so we came prepared. You had to witness it all firsthand.

\- Come to think of it, what COULD i do back there? Sing a song and the animals would attack him? My powers are trash.

\- Speaking to animals is not trash! You're gonna be a kickass vet, - James said.

\- If I ever get my application through.

\- Guys, - Yolanda piped up, - shouldn't we address the elephant in the room?

\- Yeah? - Ellen asked.

\- How the HELL did he find Anna? She doesn't live there, she doesn't work there, she never actually goes there at all! Yet somehow he still knew the exact spot where she'd be.

\- Maybe he got lucky, - Taylor guessed.

\- Did you see his hands glow? Does that sound lucky to you? I'm telling you, this man's got powers, the same kind we have. And I could bet my entire paycheck that his special ability is something like... I don't know, tracking people or whatever.

\- James should've read his mind back there, - Cassie said.

\- I couldn't. First of all, I wasn't sure he won't come to when I touch him, second, I don't know if you can read someone who's passed out. 

\- You haven't tried yet? - Taylor asked. Ellen felt her heart sinking again.

\- No. It's invasive, so I'm not gonna do it unless a clear permission is given.

Ellen let out a tiny relieved sigh.

\- You could ask Ellen, - Taylor said.

\- NO! - she shouted. Everyone looked at her, flustered. - I mean no. Not today. I've had too much "powers"-related stuff happen to me for today.

\- So, some other day would be okay? - James asked. Everyone was still staring at her.

\- Y-Yes, - she replied sheepishly. - Some other day.

\- And in the meantime, we should train, - Anna said. - We need to perfect our powers in case something - or someone - happens again. I don't want to be a scared mess when this happens. I want to defend myself.

\- And how should we train? - Ashley said. - Go to an underground location and have intense training like the guys in those movies? 

\- I was thinking more towards using the powers in our real life, - Anna said.

\- Isn't that a bit dangerous? - James said. - How would you explain you chatting with a squirrel to a stranger?

\- When Ashley teleports, no one says a thing. Nobody knows when Taylor's manipulating them, too. I think that regular people can't see us using our powers. And even if we get busted, we're gonna have an opportunity to train our deception skills, too.

\- Good thinking, Anna, - Ellen said. Everyone agreed.

***

Yolanda was pushing a cleaners' cart throughout the empty shopping mall. She stopped near one of the boutiques, carefully checked if anyone was near. All clear. She went in and locked the door behind her. Then, she took off her gloves and held up both her hands. The contents of the cart lit up and flew out of the cart. With one gesture of her left hand, she held up all of the shoes off the shelves, then she swiped her right hand and all the dust was gone. She put all the shoes back. Whoosh! - the broom swept through the shop. Plop! - a wet mop followed the broom. Yolanda smiled. Time to go to the next place.

***

Ashley was running late again. The last bus had already left, and the taxi was too pricey. A month ago, she would've freaked out, but not anymore. She took a last look at herself in the mirror, ran her fingers through her curly hair nonchalantly, and teleported away. "Oh, look! I'm fifteen minutes early!" - she noted with fake surprise in her voice. - "Might as well grab some coffee," - she chuckled to herself.

***

\- Hey, Toby, can you get that for me? - Anna asked. Tobias gracefully leapt onto the table and then onto the highest shelf. He grabbed a small packet with his teeth, jumped back onto the table and carefully placed it in Anna's hand. - Thanks, kitty, - she said, stroking him. Tobias purred. - Now get out, please, I'm about to use that loud thing you don't like and I don't want to scare you.

***

A new email with the subject line saying _"SKINNYCUP COLLAB"_ popped up in Cassie's email. She opened it and started reading. "Greetings @keepingitcassie, I'm Hannah, a representative of Skinnycup. I'd like to offer you a collab under the following circumstances..." Weird, Cassie thought. She was indeed skinny, but she had never used any of their products and wasn't even going to. Why did they message her? Suddenly, she could see, clear as day, a couple, a woman and a man, being handcuffed and put into a police car. She could hear the officers saying "Mr. and Mrs. Hannenberg, you're being arrested for fraud, selling dangerous goods and various infringements of work and financial laws. Your funds will be frozen and all your contacts will be reviewed." She opened the search bar and typed "skinnycup hannenberg". Voilà: Hans and Frieda Hannenberg were listed as the owners of the company. "Thank you, Hannah, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. Sincerely yours, @keepingitcassie," - Cassie typed. Sent. Bullet dodged.

***

Taylor saw her from across the bar. Long black hair, black eyes, a blue halter top and white skinny jeans. She was enthusiastically chatting with a friend, a smile here, a laugh there, and Taylor was caught up in the positive energy she was radiating. He ordered a shot, downed it and, feeling more confident, walked up to the girl he saw, who was sitting on a tall stool, legs crossed, with a half-finished glass of Energy Vodka in her hand.

\- Hey there! - he addressed her, lightly smirking. - Are you an Energy Vodka? Because you're spirited and I love your energy! 

\- Woah there, funny guy, - she laughed. - What's your name?

\- Taylor, - he replied, looking her in the eye.

\- I like your style, Taylor. My name is Jemma. Do you wanna join us for a drink?

***

James knocked on Phill's door. As he heard a loud "Come in!" he obliged, and saw Phill drinking his coffee, feet on the table.

\- Oh, James. It's you, - Phill visibly tensed up. - What do you want?

\- I was just dropping by to check if you needed anything. 

\- No, thank you, I don't need anything.

\- Some coffee, maybe? Did you like the one I brought you?

\- Yeah, it was okay.

\- Phill, I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you. How's the probation thing going? I'm just very... worried.

\- James, I can't say for sure, - Phill straightened up, taking his legs off the table. - If it makes you feel any better, nothing you do now can influence the situation, so if you do end up losing your job, it's not really your fault. However please refrain from bringing it up.

\- Sorry. I'm very sorry, - James sighed, his head down low. Apparently, it was over. What Phill had just said roughly translated as "you're almost fired". Suddenly, he felt a lightbulb go off in his head. If he was going out, at least he was going out in style. - I know I might not make it out of this with my job, but you know what? I'm still happy. I've gained unique experience and had a chance to work with wonderful people. Phill, it's been a pleasure to work with you. - He reached out his hand for Phill to shake.

\- James, I'm very sorry. You were one of our best. - He returned the handshake. - Ouch! Is that static electricity?

James apologized awkwardly and stumbled outside, but as the door closed, his timid facial expression changed into one of pure rage. How could they do this to him?

Later that day, Ellen was already at home, working on a project for Phresh Ideas. Suddenly, the door shot open and James appeared, looking tired and angry. She immediately knew something was off.

\- Jay, what happened? - she asked, giving him a concerned look.

\- Phill. He's planning to fire me. Basically, he almost did.

\- B-but why? You're literally the best in your department.

\- Let me explain.

***

Darren Hastings, the editor-in-chief for Springwood Times, was waiting impatiently at a cafe. He barely took a sip of his coffee and a bite of his salmon-and-cheese croissant, as he was checking his watch, adjusting his bowtie and nervously tapping his foot. Suddenly, he heard the bell above the door ring. Phill stormed in, tucking his t-shirt in on the way.

\- Darren! - he exclaimed. - I'm sorry I'm late!

\- Phill, - Darren said coldly. 

Darren knew this hipster wouldn't take it seriously. He never did before, why try now? However, he did owe Phill a favour from way back when, and this information was the perfect way to return is without any extra skin off his own nose.

\- So, what's the urgent thing you wanted to tell me? - he inquired.

\- First of all, lower your voice. 

\- So, it's urgent AND secret? I'm intrigued, - Phill giggled.

\- It's very serious, too, - Darren replied, giving him an ice cold look. - It's about our latest material. We've got something on one of your employees and it's not pretty. 

\- Don't tell me Howard got into another fight with a cop, - Phill said. - I'll go talk to him if that's the case.

\- No, it's not Howard. It's about the James situation.

\- But James was kidnapped! Someone stole his phone, too.

\- I'm afraid that it's more complicated than that. James was last seen at his job before kidnapping. If we mention it in the article, it will give Phresh Ideas bad publicity.

\- Oh crap. We've already gotten enough bad publicity when Howard fought a cop. Is there anything I can do to change it?

\- You can always disconnect your name from him.

\- Are you implying I should fire him? - Phill said in horror.

\- You said it, not me. 

\- B-But I can't! - he protested. - James is the best copywriter I have! Without him, my business will tank!

\- You can always find someone else. It's not like the guy is irreplaceable or something. Your image, however, is.

\- So what should I do?

\- It's up to you, - Darren rose from his chair. - Now if you'll excuse me... 

***

\- So, what you're saying is, you're getting fired because Springwood Times wants to publish an article on your disappearance?

\- Basically, yes, - James said, now less angry but still obviously frustrated. 

\- Is there any way to, I don't know, convince them to not fire you?

\- Tried it. Phill's relentless.

\- And what about Springwood Times?

\- Are you out of your mind, Ellen? - he growled. - You ever fought a windmill? That's almost as hard as trying to convince a newspaper _not_ to publish something like that.

\- Fair. James, I can't believe they would actually do this.

\- Neither could I, but here we go, - he scoffed. - You'll get used to it, too.

\- You know what? If they fire you, I'm quitting too. If they're gonna be assholes with their best copywriter, they deserve to lose their best dev as well.

Ellen stood up, not even knowing why. It's not like she was going to barge into the office in the middle of the night.

\- No! Don't do that! If I'm unemployed and you quit, who's gonna be making money?

\- Yeah. Fair. I mean, I could use my mad skills to sabotage something...

\- No. It'll only get you in trouble.

\- But they did you wrong and I want to help! - Ray exclaimed. She had a bunch of new (or forgotten) feelings at once, the strongest one being anger - but not the bad, _forbidden_ anger that got her into this entire situation. It was a pure kind of anger, an anger that could only be felt when your friend was horribly wronged. She started to actually contemplate going to Phresh Ideas and blowing the place up, when something settled her down, quick. _No, Ray. We all know what happens when someone makes an Impulsive Decision, don't we?_

\- The only way you can help is stay out of trouble and work your hardest to bring food to the table while I'm searching for another job, - he said in a commanding voice. She had never seen him behave like that. - Sorry, Ellen, - he said a second later, reverting to his usual dorky self. - Work stress.

\- I understand, - she said. She offered him a hug, which James accepted. - I'll do my best to keep us afloat.


	5. Truth in Television

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellen breaks the law and saves a friend. Anna meets an old acquaintance. An unlikely alliance is formed. Simulacra learns the secret of a successful double life. Taylor gets scolded. Ellen makes a confession.

_"Password acquired."_

Ellen let out a sigh of relief. Good. Now that she had the admin password, she could finally log in and do what needs to be done. She wrote it down, restarted the virtual machine, checked the VPN and opened the Springwood Times webpage. Ever since Phill almost-fired James from his job, her friend has never been the same. His days consisted of waking up an hour earlier, getting ready for the day, getting out of the apartment as fast as he could, working for ridiculous amounts of time and then disappearing into the wilderness of the small town and reappearing a few hours later, fairly drunken, at home, when Ellen's been already asleep. He gradually became messier, sometimes forgetting to wash the dishes; started binging on fast food and skipping meals. He stopped watching TV shows with her, kept skipping team activities, became sullen and withdrawn. Not to mention she hasn't seen him practice his mind-reading ability - although, in her case, it wasn't exactly a bad thing. Ellen knew James must had been avoiding her because she was still a Phresh Ideas employee - if anything, her career had skyrocketed since the day she'd joined the team - but she tried to approach him nonetheless. Not as a coworker or a roommate, but just as a friend. James had only seemed to light up once, when Yolanda came by to drop off some cookies, but other than that, he was fully in his "sulking" mode.

Rayman took a sip from her cup. Black tea with orange peel and cinnamon. She was planning to buy some for James as a gift, but now that he was out of work, she figured that they would rather budget. Besides, James had been bringing home some fairly expensive liquor for a few days, so she knew she had to do something - be it working twice as much to keep them afloat or doing something... a bit riskier. She navigated the page quickly and soon managed to log into one of their company emails. However, as she was attempting to access the company server, a pop-up message appeared.

 _"Warning! This server is under government protection. Proceed with extreme caution._ "

Weird. Why would a small town newspaper be under nothing less than state-level protection? What could be in there? And even more importantly, _did she have to break in?_ Ellen's hand hovered above the mouse. She was hesitant about this entire situation. Hacking a small town newspaper wasn't a big crime in her books, especially if you're doing for a friend, however, creating a breach in a government system definitely was - and not in _her_ books alone. "James is a nice guy," - she thought, - "but I don't want to do anything that would get me in trouble with the law, even if it's for him." Besides, she had a job, and James was a good copywriter, so he'd probably find one in a heartbeat. Both of them had things to lose; going all-in was a bad strategic decision. Ellen closed her laptop and stood up. She took her cup and headed to the kitchen for a tea refill. That's when she caught sight of James' desk.

It was a giant mess. His chair was drowning in a pile of clothes, mostly t-shirts that were giving off a nasty odour. Papers were scattered across the table, amid them stood his favourite mug, a green one with The Fantastic Captain Credence on it, the one that he kept clean and the only thing in the house Ellen wasn't EVER allowed to use. It had some cold, moldy and smelly drink in it - it was hard to even tell which kind at this point. Food wrappers were all over the floor; the garbage bin was overflowing; food stains were everywhere; and his formerly pristine white table had something written in thick black ink. A black sharpie was right next to the writing.

Ray couldn't bear to see her friend crumbling like that. Even if she wasn't going to hack the newspaper server and delete the article itself, she could at least try to make James' living conditions a little better. She took all the clothes, sorted them and put the biggest pile in the washing machine. Then she picked up the mug and took it to the kitchen, where she carefully rinsed it for a good five minutes, repeating "Sorry, Jay, had to do it" under her breath. She grabbed a big rubbish bag from the kitchen and emptied the garbage bin into it, also picking up all the wrappers and other trash from around his desk. As she leaned in to grab the papers to sort them, however, she took a closer look at the writing. Three words. **_"Reputation is key"._ **

_And then it hit her._

James wasn't sulking because of Phresh Ideas alone. He liked his workplace and boss very much, but after all, he knew he was the best. A guy like him could find another Copywriter position that suited him in a heartbeat. However, if Springwood Times would actually go through with the article, his reputation would be in pieces. Nobody in town would've wanted to associate with Loony James. The reason behind James' gradual descent into despair was that he knew it. And now Ellen did, too.

Ellen set the papers back down. Cleaning James' table won't save him from depression. The only thing Ellen could do to save her friend at the moment was to follow through with the initial plan. Which was, undoubtedly, hacking into a government-protected server and compromising all the files regarding the article about James. She noticed a framed picture behind the papers - a picture of her and James getting coffee after her first day at work. This man was her friend. A friend worth going to jail for. 

Rayman quickly grabbed her mug and laptop and got back to work. The only thing she could see was her friend's face, eyes weary and sad, beard unkempt and dirty. She accessed the company server and navigated through towards the file storage. "Upcoming Articles". She opened a search bar and typed in "James+Aulner". 1 match found. A folder named "James Aulner: A Weirdo or a Victim?" She could feel herself literally cringe at that title. She opened the folder and clicked on the "Metadata" text file. _"An exposé on James Aulner and how his story doesn't make sense. Due on Oct 9"_ . Ellen looked at the calendar. It was the third of October. If it wasn't for her, James' life would've been ruined in less than a week. She continued reading. _"An active warning about town freaks and what to do with them"_ . "Warning my ass," - she groaned, - "all you're doing is harassing an innocent guy." Then another sentence caught her eye. _"Warning! This is highly sensitive data. To avoid leaks, all employees are forbidden from storing any materials regarding this article on personal devices."_ Seemed like luck was on her side. She opened another window and uploaded a script to the folder. The program asked her whether she would like to transfer the files to her hard drive before deleting them permanently. Ray pressed Y and proceeded with running the script. After it was done, she performed a few other searches and even a manual double-check. Everything went as planned: all info regarding James was deleted. "You assholes are lucky I'm not suing you for defamation of character."

***

Anna and Ashley were standing at the fountain, checking their phones and chatting. They were supposed to meet up with James and Ellen here, but neither of them was present at the moment. As Ashley was sending numerous messages to both of them, spamming "WHERE R U" in both their dm's and the group chat, Anna suddenly giggled while still checking your phone. Ashley immediately turned her head.

\- Did they reply to you? - she asked.

\- No, I didn't send them any messages.

\- Why did you giggle then?

\- Huh? Oh, sorry, it's just that Yolanda sent me a link to a Faris and Kane blouse.

\- Yolanda gives you fashion advice? - Ashley asked, slightly frowning.

\- She just thinks it'll be a good replacement for the one I tore when fighting Greg. She's a Faris and Kane employee so she'll probably get something out of this, too.

\- Yeah, right, - she let out a sigh of relief. - She probably wants you to buy something from her, and that's it, - she added under her breath. Anna gave her a questioning look, however, the awkward moment was interrupted by a very sad James, walking slowly towards them.

\- James! Hi! - Anna said cheerily, waving at him. - How's your job? What did Phill say? - she asked quietly as he approached them.

\- You can say "ex-job", - he said. - No need to sugarcoat it.

\- Yes, but did you get fired? Like FIRED fired? - Ashley chimed in.

\- No. But it's only a matter of time.

\- Why do you think so?

James took a deep breath. Why were they asking him to repeat this? Hadn't he already... Suddenly, James realised that neither Anna nor Ashley knew about his Phresh Ideas fiasco. In fact, nobody but Ellen and Yolanda knew it; and he himself couldn't even remember the last time he spoke with or saw either of these two. He wasn't planning to come to the mall with the girls either: Rayman was, and she was the one who convinced him, saying that she had good news. He sighed and groaned:

\- Springwood Times is planning to release an exposé on me and mention my workplace in it. My boss caught wind of it and decided to fire me to avoid bad publicity.

\- I can't believe it. Phill would actually do this to you?

\- He did hesitate for a long time, I have to give him that, - James said. - But in the end, Phresh Ideas is like his own child to him. He'd never jeopardize the company over some guy who works for him. 

\- Heeyyyy! - suddenly, a voice called out. All three turned their heads.

Ellen was standing there, hair tied in a bun, wearing her usual black jeans and a white blouse. However, she had on a dark burgundy blazer, a matching lipstick and silvery aviators. Judging by her smug look, everyone could tell she had some news. She approached her friends and hugged each and every one of them, holding onto James a little but longer.

\- Ray, you're late, what happened? - Anna said.

\- I'm always late, - she grinned back.

\- Yeah, but this time, it's, like, half an hour. 

\- Well, now that James is between jobs, I had to pick up some extra work to make ends meet, - she said. Luckily for her, her shades were covering her eyes and neither of her friends could see her eyes frantically dashing from side to side. 

They finally took off in the direction of Faris and Kane. As Anna was telling a story about how she was hanging out with Yolanda last week and Ashley was sneakily giving her weird looks, Ellen noticed how weary James had become over the last week. She got close to him and whispered:

\- Hey, I saw Shannon today. She told me Phill is rethinking his decision about letting you go.

\- Ray, I appreciate it, but you don't have to lie to me to make me feel better. I'll just find another job.

\- No, really! I think Phill's gonna keep you. Maybe even give you a raise or something. I don't know.

\- Thanks, but unless I receive an official email from Phill, I'd like to think I'm fired.

James sighed and pulled out his phone. Ellen touched his shoulder and gave him a supporting look. As he turned away, she started listening in on Anna and Ashley's conversation. They were chatting on and on; suddenly, James lit up and looked at Ellen, smiling as if he won the lottery, stars in his eyes.

\- Ellen... he took me back! My boss took me back! - he yelled as he was showing an email from Phill. The email read:

" _subject:_ YOU'RE REINSTATED

Hello, James.

I'm glad to tell you that I'd like to hire you back full-time. I know I was in the wrong by keeping you in the dark for so long. If you have any reasonable requests I can satisfy to make up for this, I'm waiting for you in the office tomorrow, 12pm sharp. You can take today off.

Sincerely yours,

Phill."

The second Anna and Ashley heard James, both of them stopped and turned towards him. 

\- Congrats James! It's so cool! - Ashley yelled, high-fiving him.

\- Yeah James, good job, - Anna added. - You know what, I'm feeling like' it's a perfect occasion to get you all ice cream. Stay here, I'll get you some.

\- Hey An? - Ashley said. - Can I come too? You're gonna need help carrying all the ice cream.

Anna agreed and the girls took off, while Ellen and James remained behind. As they were leaving the ice cream stand, food in hand, Ashley carefully tapped Anna on her shoulder.

\- Hey An... I want to tell you something.

\- What is it, Ash? - she replied.

However, she didn't get an answer. Suddenly, a tall, lanky blonde man with messy hair and glasses appeared in front of them.

\- Murv? - both Anna and Ashley exclaimed.

\- Greetings, - he said sourly. - Been a while since I've seen ya.

\- The last time being you harassing her in the workplace? - Ashley snarked. She didn't want to let any of his past behaviour slide.

\- Ash, - Anna said. - What brings you here, Murv?

\- Just passing by. Nice to see you back, by the way. I heard you were kidnapped by your own boyfriend? Hope this guy rots in jail.

\- I also lost my phone, so if I said something... or promised to do something, - she continued, giving him a hard look, - it wasn't me. 

\- Yeah, but did you get it back?

\- What? - Anna replied, confused.

\- The phone. Did you get it back?

\- I did. A very nice young man brought it back to me.

\- And he was the one who found it? - he replied, now looking a bit confused.

\- Well, that's what he said to me.

\- Did you happen to get his name or something? - Murv said inquisitively.

\- Why are you asking, though? - Anna said. - You know I don't have to tell you, right?

\- What's happening here? - James asked, as he and Ellen suddenly came from behind.

\- Is that him? The guy who found the phone? - Murv pointed at James.

\- No, I'm just a friend. I'm James, nice to meet ya! - he extended his hand to Murv, who was so startled that he actually shook it. - I think it's time to go, c'mon girls!

Ellen made a "come here" gesture at the girls. James didn't need to repeat himself: all four of them hurried out of that shopping mall as if it was on fire. Murv gave them a puzzled look as they passed him. Anna made a "sorry" gesture and Ashley gave him the dirtiest of looks.

\- Ok, THAT was weird, - Ashley said.

\- So, James, what did you see? - Ellen asked. - I saw you shaking his hand, so tell me, what do you know?

\- Well, _I_ know that Murv is a creep, - Ashley scoffed. - He was probably following her.

\- Actually, - James said, - he wasn't. He's looking for the guy who rescued Anna.

\- What?

\- When the Simulacra abducted her, whoever saved her contacted Murv and blackmailed him into updating her phone using Murv's email. However, the guy broke his promise and the email eventually got him fired. So now he wants to find this guy and he thought that Anna's phone was still with him.

\- Randall! We have to warn him! - Anna exclaimed.

\- So, you know who this guy is? 

\- No. He didn't tell us anything besides the name.

\- Maybe we shouldn't bother? - Ashley said. - We don't know anything about this guy, and it's not like Murv has powers like we do, so...

\- Murv's crazy, - Anna interjected, - and he's good with tech, so he might actually find him and do god knows what.

\- Well, we've got someone who's good with tech, too, - James said, pointing at Ellen. - Can you maybe try and find this guy? We should at least check on him once in a while.

Ellen sighed. Of course she could - she was dating this exact guy for almost two months now. Of course, she'd rather not give out his info, but maybe Anna did have a point? After all, Ray didn't want anything to happen to her Randy.

***

The dimly lit bar smelt like cheap beer, garlic bread and drunken decisions. Some local band was playing a bad cover of an Ashley Applegate song, and no one besides a few fans screaming the lyrics out loud along to the song was acknowledging their presence. It wasn't slammed, but there weren't a lot of empty tables. The bartender was serving a vodka soda to a tipsy blonde woman at the bar, who was sitting lonely at her bar stool. The blonde girl, as well as her smile and her drunkenly nonchalant behaviour, managed to catch the eye of a gloomy man, tall and lanky, with messy blonde hair and eyes so angry he could break his glasses with his stare, who was sitting across the bar. He took a sip of his beer and reached into his pocket, where a small pill carefully wrapped in a paper had been waiting its turn. He took a look at the blonde again, and slowly started to rise from his chair. Suddenly, he felt someone pulling at the chair next to his.

\- Is this seat taken? - a dark-haired man with black sunglasses on asked.

\- No, - Murv quickly sat back down. He wasn't happy about the sudden company, but didn't want to start anything. The newcomer took a big sip of his own drink - something greenish with a strawberry on top.

\- Ever felt like you wanted to kill someone? - the stranger asked.

\- I mean, we all do sometimes, don't we? - Murv replied, trying his best to understand whether the newcomer was joking or not. The answer seemed to please the stranger.

\- Makes sense, - he chuckled. - If you've never felt animal rage, are you even human?

The blonde girl paid for her drink and took off. Murv watched her as she left.

\- It's hard losing a girl, isn't it? - the stranger asked.

\- Not as hard as losing a job, - Murv grumbled. - Unless you get both.

\- Tough luck, man. Mind telling me what happened? - the newcomer asked.

\- Well, I... - Murv stuttered. - It's not like I want to vent to you or something... 

\- It's a bar, dude. This is the ultimate venting place. I could go first, if you're feeling shy...

Murv shrugged. There was no point in arguing with this loquacious stranger, so he didn't have that much of a choice. The newcomer took a big gulp of his drink and began:

\- Well, I've been dating this girl for two years. She gives me access to her flat, we make plans to move in, all the shebang. Then we have one small argument and next thing you know, she meets someone on Spark and they hit it off almost instantly.

\- Man, that sucks, - Murv took a sip of his drink, too. - As for me, my coworker's new boyfriend found my texts to her and sent them to HR. Long story short, I got fired.

\- You don't lose a job over a couple texts. You flirted with her in those messages, didn't you?

\- I might have gone a bit overboard once or twice, but that's not on me! She kept giving me all those mixed signals... If a girl is taken, she has to act it.

\- Yeah, she could've just told you instead of giving her boy toy her phone. That dude, however, sounds like a dick. 

\- Your dude sounds no better, too.

The stranger finished his drink and flagged the bartender down. As the bartender took his glass for him, the newcomer placed his new order. The bartender disappeared into the depths of the bar, as the stranger continued, suddenly lighting up:

\- Hey, you know what? Maybe you should teach that guy a lesson to stay out of your business.

\- Yeah, but I don't know how. Can't even find the douchebag. I tried tracking his phone, but it's a dead end.

\- Don't worry about finding that guy. I know how to find people and I can find him for you.

\- Really?

\- Yes. I've got one small favour to ask, though.

\- I'm out of work, so I don't have any extra cash, - Murv responded quickly. Even if he did have money, he wouldn't give it to a stranger at the bar.

\- I don't want money. I'll find your guy for you if you help me with my guy first, - Greg Summers said, taking down his sunglasses.

***

She was seemingly perfect, Taylor thought. Her bubbly personality, her witty remarks, her looks - everything was to him. Born and bred in Cunningham City, Jemma came from a very educated family and had always wanted to become a politician; however, after her life took a drastic turn, she'd been on hiatus. She didn't specify what the turn was, but as far as he knew, it involved a death. Jemma herself told him she didn't like to remind herself of that day, and Taylor never brought it up ever since. Jemma didn't like to talk about her studies, either, and mostly resorted to listening, so he just enjoyed her company and the occasional childhood memory of hers. Who knew dating could be so easy, Taylor thought, a slight purple spark igniting at the bottom of his eyes.

*** 

\- I can't believe it! Phill took me back! - James said as he fell onto the couch, beaming.

\- I can. And don't worry about that article. I made sure it's never gonna see the light of day, - Ellen said smugly, setting down her bags and closing the apartment door behind her.

\- You used your powers, didn't ya? - he asked. She nodded. 

\- But Springwood Times is government-protected! Did you hack into a government-protected server for me?

\- Well, yes, - she said, picking up the remote. - You up for some Debbie?

\- Hell yes! Haven't watched it in a while.

So they sat down on the couch and turned on the laptop. Ray pulled out a large bag of nacho chips and opened them, offering James some. Each of them tried their hardest to muffle the crunching, because the episode they were watching was truly exciting. As the fabulous housewife crime fighter defeated another enemy, in came the paparazzi, cameras ready, asking their usual questions. As she gracefully brushed them off, answering wittily, Debbie Lynne managed to break free and reunite with her sidekick. Awestruck, he asked:

\- Debbie, how do you manage to handle it all?

\- What do you mean? - she asked softly, turning to showcase her best angle to the nearest camera.

\- You're a successful superagent, a national hero! And yet, you still find time for homemaking. And what amuses me the most, you somehow make it seem so... effortless?

Debbie leaned in, gesturing for him to listen closely, and whispered:

\- My secret is simple: my husband knows about my double life. He's a wonderfully supportive man and is always ready to catch me whenever I fall. The key to a successful double life is, don't lie to both sides. Unless you're entirely certain that you'll manage to do everything on your own, you need someone to be there for you.

\- Wow, that's deep, - James said, half-jokingly. Ellen hushed.

She, for one, could understand the underlying reasons for Debbie's claim. Living a double life wasn't easy, and sometimes, she felt the need to vent to someone. However, she didn't have the luxury of venting to whoever she saw fit: the people who knew Simulacra, didn't know Ellen Rayman, and the people who knew Ellen Rayman, didn't know the Simulacra. The episode progressed further, but Ellen wasn't listening to it, the only thing on her mind being: _I need to tell someone._

\- Whew, that was a hell of an episode, - James said, turning off the laptop. - Right, Ray?

\- Uh... yeah, - she nodded absent-mindedly. She was still thinking about the entire "double life" concept; and right at that moment, she was trying her hardest to decide who to confess to. Who would she tell? Her friends or her boyfriend?

\- Hey! Earth to Rayman, are you okay? - James seemed to notice her behaviour.

\- Yeah. I'm... just thinking, - she replied.

\- Oh, okay, - he said. - You've been acting a little weird lately, and I just want to let you know: I'm here for you. You saved my career, Ray.

\- Thank you, - Ellen said. - Wait a second, - she rose from the couch. - How did you know Springwood Times was state-protected?

\- I had to dig up an old article of theirs and access was denied by a government page blocker. Weird, right?

\- Yeeeah, - she uttered. She knew she wasn't the only one with secrets to hide. 

***

Everyone but Ellen and James had already arrived, so the team was sitting around the same table in the same cafe - they've made it their headquarters of sorts. The table in question was fairly secluded from the rest, and since the place didn't have any waiters, the chances of someone eavesdropping - either accidentally or purposefully - were slim to none. Finally, they arrived - James wearing black jeans and a black-and-white tartan shirt, Ellen with matching slacks and a black t-shirt on.

\- Did you guys split your pajamas or something? - Yolanda snarked. - Seriously though, love the look, - she continued in her normal tone.

\- James! Nice to see you're back on track, - Cassie smiled. James acknowledged her with a smile and a hand wave as both he and Ellen took their respective spots: Ellen, as the leader, at the head of the table, James at her right hand.

\- So, Cass, you said there's an emergency, - Ellen said, gesturing towards her.

\- Yeah, - Cassie nodded and looked at Taylor, who was sitting across the table from her. - Taylor! Tell them what you did.

\- I... Cass, it's nothing. At least, not an _emergency._ It's not like someone died or something, - Taylor mumbled, looking down.

\- Ok, Taylor. You wanna play shy, you play shy. I'll tell everyone. 

Taylor sighed.

\- You've all seen his recent post with his girlfriend, right?

\- Yeah. Jemma looks so cute! - Ashley said. Everyone else agreed.

\- So, I sent him a DM joking about how he probably used his powers to get someone like her. And guess what? He did.

The reaction differed from face to face. Anna was absolutely horrified. Yolanda facepalmed and sighed. Taylor was still looking down shamefully. James and Ellen gave each other a look, where Ellen tried her best to conceal the feeling of uneasiness the situation was giving her. Ashley even seemed to understand Taylor to some extent, but she figured that this exact group wasn't the best place for her to show it.

\- Taylor.. Is that true? - Anna uttered in horror. Taylor nodded.

\- Oh my god, - Ellen whispered.

\- I won't be embellishing when I say I'm disgusted, - Anna said. - And I think I'm not the only one.

\- Yeah man, that's low, - James said. Ellen nodded along.

\- It's like cheating in a test. - Cassie said. - But worse.

\- I know, right! - Anna said, getting fired up. - I can literally understand animals, but I study for my future vet tests all the same, Taylor. 

\- Taylor, - Ellen said, looking at him with a hint of compassion. - You're using your powers to heavily influence an innocent person's life. It's nothing better than what Greg did to Anna, actually.

\- Woah, is it THAT bad, though? - Taylor said. - It's not like I'm mind-controlling her all day. I just used it a bit to make the convo flow when we first met at that bar! I just had a bad opener, and I've never used that since, I swear!

Anna let out a huff. James reached out, asked Taylor's permission to read his mind and, being given one, began the procedure.

\- He isn't lying.

The mood seemed to lighten. Ellen and James simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. Anna said in a much friendlier voice:

\- Look, Taylor, it's just that... Lies and secrets are never good in any relationship. Trust me, I would know. And if you begin a relationship using them, it's not gonna end pleasantly. 

\- Besides, I don't like that Jemma girl much, - Yolanda, who had been staying silent up until that moment, finally interjected. - She seems like she's hiding something. 

\- Maybe she has powers too, - Taylor chuckled. Ashley smiled as well, but the rest weren't letting it go just yet.

\- Taylor, you have to promise us something. - Ellen said, stretching out her hand. - Don't ever use your power on her. And if it doesn't work out, promise that you'll never _ever_ use them to begin a relationship in the first place.

Taylor complied and shook her hand. He felt a weight drop from his shoulders. Ellen, however, was feeling terrible. "Jeez, I'm such a hypocrite," - she thought. - "Here I am, lecturing my friend about how not to lie in a relationship, whereas I'm doing just that." This situation, combined with her previous negative experience regarding relationships, had finally managed to tip the balance. She was going to confess to Pretender first, and she was planning to do it as soon as possible. So, while everyone else was discussing Jemma, she took out her phone and sent Randall a quick message:

_\- "Let's meet. I have to tell you something."_

Later, as all the goodbyes had been said and the team parted ways, Cassie boarded her usual bus home. Feeling happily exhausted, she put her head to the window, lazily eyeing the other passengers. Here's Mr. Nicholson, a policeman and her next-door neighbour with a knack for gardening. Here's Emma, a barista from Beanie's, the one who accidentally misspelt her name as Kassie twice. Nice girl, apart from that. But... what's that? Cassie shifted her gaze towards a strange man, sitting a few rows of seats away from her. He was dressed in dark clothes, namely, black jeans and boots and a dark brown winter coat, one that was too warm for this weather. He had his hood up; his cap was covering his eyes and he had a face mask on. To Cassie, somehow, his man was reeking of danger. As her stop came up, she got off the bus; so did the stranger. As Cassie walked by a grocery store, a voice in her head told her that she had to urgently go shopping. As she obliged, she noticed the bizarre man losing her trail, turning the corner and going off into the night. And even though the danger seemed to have passed, Cassie knew that wasn't the last she saw of this person.

***

The evening was almost idyllic so far. James was working at his desk, whereas Ellen was sitting on her bed, working on her laptop. Both of them had their tea mugs with them, working peacefully on their own tasks. Suddenly, James called out Ellen's name. She took off her headphones and turned towards him.

\- I just can't get this Murv guy out of my head, - James said. - Lots of other women, besides Anna, have filed harassment reports against him. And he tried to track an unsuspecting person's phone, too. All in all, he doesn't sound like an upstanding member of society.

\- Yeah, he doesn't look like a nice guy either, - Ellen added. - There's a hint of craziness in his behaviour. I got chills from the way he was eyeing Anna up and down.

\- Anyway, I think that we should at least look out for that Randall dude, - James said. - If Murv is indeed looking for him, I doubt it's for a nice friendly chat. Can you get Randall's info in case we have to intervene?

\- I don't have anything of his to even start, - Ellen said, feigning disappointment. - I say we keep an eye on Murv instead. And if he does find that Randall person, we'll just tail him. 

\- Actually, we could do both. I'm sure Anna will be happy to provide her phone, which Randall had at some point. And her workplace sure has some records of him.

\- By the way, - Ellen said. - Remember when you told me you've been doing some paranormal-related research before you landed your Phresh Ideas job? Do you still have the access to the sources you've used?

\- Yeah, why? - James asked.

\- I want you to help me research our powers. Where they come from, their nature - everything. Without full knowledge it feels like we're using a completely wild card that we don't understand, and I'm sure it can backfire.

\- Fair point, - he said. - I'll try to get my access back and then I'll hit the books.

Ellen looked at her watch.

\- Actually, I have to step out for a while. Tell me if you find something, - she said, grabbing her handbag and storming out of the room.

\- S-Sure, - James muttered. - It's a bit late, though...

Half an hour later Ellen was sitting on a secluded couch at the same KingOfWaffles she and Pretender used for their usual hangouts. He showed up soon afterwards, looking slightly distressed. He took off his coat and sat down next to her.

\- What happened, Ellen? What did you want to tell me?

\- Uhhh... I've got news. - she uttered. - Don't worry, no one died and I'm not cheating on you.

\- Well, that's something, - he chuckled. Then he lowered his voice and repeated his question. 

\- Look, Randall... I'm human, - she whispered.

\- So, you're not the Simulacra, - he said, looking shocked. His face displayed a mix of shock, disbelief and, as Ellen thought, disgust.

\- I am! - she hissed. - I'm half human, half Simulacra, so to say. When you gave Anna the phone back, it triggered a reaction that made me human, but I did get to keep some of my Simulacra powers when I underwent the transition.

\- Show me when we're outside, - he ordered. - Does anyone else know about it?

\- No. You're the only one, - she said. He let out a sigh of relief. They ordered and finished their food in total silence.

\- Let's go outside, - Pretender said, as he was putting the last piece of waffle in his mouth.

As the freezing wind blew, they walked towards the pond, Ellen scared and holding onto Randall, Pretender confused and mildly disappointed. They stopped at the pond and Ellen said:

\- So, apparently, I can still hack anything I want, even as a human. And I can also do that, - she took off her gloves.

Simulacra waved her hand. A teal shockwave instantly rolled across the lake, making the dark water glisten with various shades of green and blue. As it reached the other side of the lake, it fell apart, hitting the leafless dark trees.

\- I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, - she said, putting her gloves back on.

\- Don't worry, - Pretender said peacefully, embracing her. - I understand why you would hide it from me. Just try not to lie to me again, ok?

He pulled her closer, as she wrapped her hands around him, too. Both of them seemed to finally loosen up. They stood like that for half an hour, as the cold wind was blowing around them and the full moon appeared from the clouds, lighting up the dark water of the lake. 


	6. Douchebags, Alliances and Douchebag Alliances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretender is protected. Ellen almost gets busted. Anna gets a tutor. Cassie is blackmailed and Yolanda is made fun of. Taylor suspects something.

The laptop gave off a cheerful beep. Rayman jumped up and dashed towards her desk, slipping on some New Year decorations James had left lying around. Who even has New Year decorations out in November? Granted, it was almost December, but still! She approached the laptop and looked at the screen. "Access granted. Welcome back Murv", - it said. Ellen let out a relieved sigh. Big companies, like IRIS, had a lot of weaknesses; the biggest of them was their seeming invincibility. A giant corporaion like IRIS wouldn't give the time of day to a small dent in the seemingly perfect surface of their user security systems; and dents like these were frequently used by hackers like her. Ellen smirked and opened the message app. Most of the hacking she had done was akin to brute force for her, plain and simple; with Murv's IRIS profile, however, Ellen had to get creative. It was never about how to hack, but about where to start. And get creative she did: first, she pulled up Anna's message history with him, then, heavily cringing at the contents, got his work account information. Then Ray searched for accounts with his first name and same location settings as his work one: bingo. Now she had his personal account. The rest is history; an hour later she already had everything, carefully stored in a special folder.

Ray opened his most recent conversations. "I can't wait to squeeze those melons. I mean the fruit, of course" - sent to someone named Hanna Grocery Store. Poor Hanna, Ellen thought. "Look at this, what a fucking whale! And here I am, can't even get a date"- with a picture of a chunky woman hugging her newlywed husband, sent to a friend. Rayman cringed even harder. "I swear I'll give you all the money back when I find another job, Mom." Ellen felt a sudden surge of shame. "Mom". Been a while, she thought. Then, the most recent conversation popped up. Someone named "G".

G and Murv were having the weirdest conversations, she thought. At first, Murv was doubting G's ability to actually track people without any tech and G was reassuring him that they did, in fact, possess that ability. They promised to show him what they could do if he came to the fitness center after closing the next day. After that, the tone of the conversation changed. Murv kept telling G how cool their powers were and how he liked the reddish glow of their hands, like a middle-schooler Ashley Applegate fan who'd just seen her favourite celebrity in the flesh. G was at first pleased and even promised to teach Murv to do it too, or at least something equally cool, but as the praises carried on, they resorted to asking Murv to please calm down and focus on tracking down "the asshole". Then a few days worth of spying on someone and discussing their activities. Ellen felt her heart skip a beat when she saw G address the fact that the target met up with "some fat chick in a weird outfit" at KingOfWaffles. She glanced at her burgundy jacket. Oof. Maybe Yolanda was right and she should've gotten the green one. Then, Murv mentioned the name Randall. Now she was entirely sure that they've been tracking her boyfriend. The conversation then turned towards planning, discussing and disputing. The last message read:

"Tomorrow, 3pm sharp, near the back door to his job where he likes to smoke."

"Wait a minute, he smokes?" - Ellen thought. Then she suddenly realized the severity of the situation. Rayman looked at her watch. 8pm. The message was sent five minutes earlier.

***

\- So, Ellen, what's today's meeting for? - Cassie asked, looking around. Everyone was here, looking distressed - it was evident that they'd arrived in a hurry. Anna's hair was a mess, Ashley's shoelaces were undone, Taylor's shirt was buttoned up the wrong way.  
\- Randall's in danger, - Ellen panted, throwing off her winter coat as she entered. - I've hacked into Murv's messenger app and he's been meeting this one person named G with the _sole purpose_ of kicking Randall's ass.

\- That sucks, - Taylor said, slightly concerned. - 2 on 1 is never a fair game.

\- That's not all, - Ellen continued. - G has powers _._ As in, _our powers._

 _-_ Shit, - Anna said. - Two people, one of whom has powers, versus a regular unsuspecting guy. We should intervene immediately.

\- What do you mean?

\- A warning won't be enough, I think, - she continued. - We need to take direct action. I should talk to him and offer our protection.

Ellen felt her skin crawl. If Pretender and her friends find out about each other, that's an instant game over for Rayman.

\- Maybe I should? I could show him the chat logs so that he doesn't instantly dismiss us as a bunch of loons.

\- Good idea, - James said, - but he knows Anna already. Maybe receiving this kind of information will be easier if it's from a familiar source. You could take screenshots of the chats and send them to Anna, she could show them to him just fine.

Ellen sighed and nodded, opening her laptop. She needed to think fast. As the group gathered around the laptop, reading the screenshots, Anna sent a text to Pretender.

"Hello, Randall. This is Anna from earlier. I have strong evidence that you're in danger. Please meet me as soon as you can, this is really important. Me and my friends will protect you."

Ellen, meanwhile, was typing up a message of her own. At first, she was considering saying she didn't know those people, or spinning a lie about judgemental coworkers, but after all, she decided to adhere to her promise not to lie to Pretender anymore. 

"Randy, it's very important. A girl named Anna is gonna contact you soon, and you'll have to believe everything she says because it's gonna save your life. I'll be working with her and a bunch of other people to keep you safe, but please, don't show that you know me. They are my friends and they don't know who I am."

\- He replied! He replied to me! - Anna yelled, holding up her phone. Everyone gathered around and thoroughly examined the message, which read: "I'm already in bed, but I'm down to discuss it tomorrow morning. Meet me near Burger Heroes downtown."

Ellen's reply was much, much shorter.

"Ok."

A few hours later, Cassie was on her usual bus, going home. As she was thoroughly planning out her day, the bus doors opened, and the same man in his dark winter coat walked in. He went for the furthest corner, but didn't sit down; as he turned towards Cassie, she saw that his face was now covered by a scarf. She immediately sensed danger; alarms were going off in her head. "I'll get off on the next stop," - she thought, - "and if this creepo gets off with me, I'm either hiding, calling the cops or both." As she slowly got off, nervously grabbing at the rails, she saw the man following her in the corner of her eye. However, the doors closed right before his face; Cassie sighed in relief. 

*** 

Ellen took another piece of pizza and shoved it into her mouth, gulping greedily. A small piece of salami fell off, and she picked it up and ate it too. James looked at her quizzically; she replied with a shrug. Rayman grabbed a large cup filled with black tea and chugged it. James followed suit, but with far less enthusiasm. 

\- Whew, I haven't been THIS hungry in ages.

James was looking somewhat weirded out, as if something was out of place, which Ellen quickly noticed. She knew it wasn't because of her table etiquette; her rapid food consumption tendencies were no stranger to their household and James knew that.

\- What's wrong, Jay? - Ellen asked. - You've been acting strange lately.

James averted his eyes. After taking a long hard look at the floor, he finally sighed and lifted his head again.

\- Ellen, - he said. - If you had a crush on someone on the team, what would be the best way to tell them?

She gave him a puzzled look.

\- Don't worry, - he chuckled. - It's not you. 

\- Whew, - she chuckled back. - I don't think my boyfriend would've liked that.

\- Your boyfriend?

\- ...I mean, if I had one, - she quickly remarked. - I'm not a good person to give out dating advice, namely due to complete lack of experience.

Ellen wasn't even lying about this one. It's not like she and Pretender were an ordinary run-of-the-mill couple, and even their unusual background aside, Rayman felt like her relationship skills were less than stellar. The initial puppy love seemed to be wearing off by then, and it was becoming evident that there was some kind of unspoken tension between them. James sighed.

\- I just don't know how to approach her. - he said.

\- Well, first of all, you could just ask.

\- I don't think it's a good idea. For various reasons.

\- Could you at least tell me who she is? - Rayman asked.

\- I-I'm not ready for that yet. I feel like I need to be at peace with my feelings first, which I'm not, - he answered blandly.

Feels like everyone in here needs therapy, Ellen thought.

***

Next day, everyone gathered in a cafe far from Randall's place of work: courtesy of Ashley's teleportation. Luckily for them, there were no customers beside them Anna was sitting next to Randall, explaining their plan; however, he kept shooting glances at Ellen, who was sitting opposite him at the other side of the table. She was trying her best to keep up a chat with Cassie and James, however, she was constantly keeping track of Pretender. Anna stood up, directioning Randall towards where Taylor was standing, ready to practice their defense strategy; Pretender, however, walked up to Ellen.

\- You're not wearing the necklace today, Ellen, - he said with a smirk. 

Ellen's heart fell through her chest. She looked at him angrily, however, he seemed unfazed; Ray looked at her friends and, to her utter horror, Randy's remark didn't fly unnoticed: every head in the room was turned towards her.

\- The necklace? - Anna asked.

\- Miss Rayman here has a beautiful necklace, don't you? - Pretender laughed, as Ellen was glaring at him. Rayman was trying her best not to make it obvious, but if looks could kill, Murv and G wouldn't need their ambush plan anymore. 

\- You know Ellen's last name? - Taylor asked. 

\- I-I gave it to him, - Ray piped up. - A few weeks ago. We met at KingOfWaffles and he complimented my necklace. By the way, we should get going, it's almost three in the afternoon.

\- Nice catch, Ellen, - James said. - We definitely should.

Anna packed up the papers and put them into her bag. The team started gathering up slowly, with Pretender following suit, giving Ellen smug looks. As they began to exit the building one by one, Ellen held Pretender back.

\- What the hell? - she hissed. - Randall, what are you doing?

\- Sorry, - he replied. - I just thought you'd have told them by now.

\- Well, I haven't, so please keep it down. As far as they're concerned, we're strangers.

Pretender shrugged and nodded. Ellen let out a sigh.

\- Good. Now let's hurry up, we've got douchebags to fight.

Ashley brought Pretender to his workplace. It was almost 3pm by then, so the rest of the team took cover around corners and behind buildings, staying well-hidden - courtesy of a sudden snowstorm. Ashley was perched on the roof, looking over the entire backyard. Taylor was around the corner, a piping hot cup of coffee in hand. At first, when Ellen saw the coffee, she gave him a concerned glance, but when Taylor said it was his secret weapon, Ray just shrugged and decided she'd let him figure it out himself. James was hidden in a bush covered with snow; Cassie and Yolanda were waiting behind the gates. Ellen and Anna were hiding together behind the corner where Pretender was supposed to be standing, so they could see the events as they unfold. Randall went to his position and pulled out a cigarette. Ellen's eyes narrowed from anger, but she decided to save the lecture for later. Pretender pulled out a lighter; his hands were shaking as he tried the switch again and again. He finally managed to light up the cigarette, so he put it in his mouth with his still trembling hands and inhaled heavily. As he puffed out a small cloud of smoke, he saw a short man with dark hair leaning on a wall.

\- Hey buddy, do you have a smoke? - he asked. 

As Rayman saw the guy approaching her Randy, she immediately pulled out her phone and started typing up a message in the general chat; however, as Ray looked at Anna, she saw her friend's face white as a sheet.

\- It's Greg, - Anna whispered. - I know it's him. Murv and Greg are working together. 

\- But they don't know it yet, - Ellen remarked grimly.

Pretender was startled; he blurted out something, but Greg had already grabbed him by his arm. Ellen growled quietly in anger; Anna clenched her fist, which immediately started glowing light pink. Pretender twitched a little, but Greg had him in a steady hold.

\- Smoking kills, - he smiled thinly. - Hey Murv, is that your guy?

Another figure, this one tall and lanky, emerged from the shadows. He went by Pretender and stood behind him, hands crossed.

\- Well, well, well, - he droned. - If it isn't the man who took both my job and Anna away from me.

Ellen opened the messenger app again. "Conflict incoming. Assume your positions."

\- Huh, funny thing, - Greg noted. - My ex's name is Anna too. 

\- Well, Anna is a common name, - Murv shrugged nervously. - Let's get back to business.

\- No. Wait, - Greg protested, still holding onto Randall. - What did they fire you for? An email, you say? 

Ellen opened up her phone again. "Hold up," - she commanded. Randall looked up at his captor, seemingly realising what was about to go down.

\- Uhhh... - Murv hesitated. - I sent Anna a couple flirty messages and that's it!

\- And _my_ Anna said that some creep was harassing her at work with endless messages.

\- Anna is a common name!

\- Murv isn't, though, - Greg said menacingly. - I think I saw you at the office, too...

\- He's putting two and two together, - Ellen whispered to Anna. - Let's wait until he lets Randall go, then dip. You warn the others, I'll look out for Pretender, when Greg lets go, tell Ashley to grab him. 

Meanwhile Greg, still holding onto Pretender's arm, had finally had his Eureka moment. He slowly straightened up, eyes gleaming with anger. Pretender tensed up, ready to break free whenever the moment would allow it.

\- It's you, - he murmured. - You're the asshole who harassed my girlfriend.

Murv sighed and straightened up, too.

\- Only if you're the douchebag who abused my colleague, - he replied vitriolically.

Greg let go of Pretender's arm. Randall stepped aside, slowly retreating towards where Ellen and Anna were hiding, as Greg was approaching Murv, hurling insults at him.

\- Scatter! - Ellen yelled at the top of her lungs.

Ashley lunged forward, miniature hot pink shockwaves rippling through her body. She leaped gracefully through matter itself, her eyes focused on Pretender. Reaching out a hand, Ashley conjured up an image of the street outside Randall's job inside her mind; and just like that, the two were gone, now standing at the exact spot Ashley imagined. She looked up and saw Cassie and Yolanda approaching them, running as fast as they could. Taylor was far behind, carefully protecting his coffee from spilling onto the ground. Anna and Ellen were turning the corner, helping James clean off the snow.

\- Nice work, everyone, - Rayman said, after everyone had gathered and the initial chatter died down. - Ashley, your leap was fantastic.

Ashley thanked her, holding onto Anna as if she was the greatest treasure on the planet. Ellen gave her a smile. Then she looked over at James, who was still cleaning off snow, Cassie, and then Yolanda, when she finally settled on Taylor.

\- And special thanks to Taylor for his secret weapon: the Piping Hot Coffee Trap!

Ellen mimicked Taylor throwing hot coffee at the enemy. Everyone giggled.

\- Next time be careful, though, - she lowered her voice. - You could've missed the cue drinking that coffee, or spill it on yourself. Things could've gotten real bad real fast so...

\- I got you, - he said. - No more coffee traps.

Ellen smiled and turned to say goodbye to Pretender. After all the goodbyes had been said and Randall left, still a bit shaken up, Ellen turned to her own thoughts. As the team's self-pronounced leader, did she really have the right to drill-sergeant her friends as she saw fit? Losing her authority wasn't something Rayman would want to happen, especially considering her uncanny background. She didn't go hard on them during training, due to the fact that all of them started out arguably equal in terms of power control; however, at the moment, Simulacra could confidently say that several of her friends have already developed her abilities to a level far higher than her own. They haven't had much opportunity to show their skills in battle, but Ellen knew for sure it was more of a good thing; besides, the last thing someone needs during a battle is discouragement. However, a complete lack of control and assertiveness could easily strip her of her leadership. How much is too much? 

\- Ellen? Are you ok? - James put her out of her trance.

\- Uh... I'm fine. Just a couple of intrusive thoughts.

Cassie crashed onto her couch and opened up her laptop. The entire Randall situation has been such a strain on her nerves. Even though they didn't get to the fighting itself, the suspense alone was enough to send Cassie plummeting into the depths of a panic attack on a bad day. As Cassie was deciding on which film she wanted to watch, she suddenly saw that she had one new unread email. Her cursor hovered over the "mail" icon for a second; she was pondering if another ad from Aluren (which was the only explanation for this sudden email) was worth the click. As she reached for the icon, however, she felt every fiber of her being screaming "no!"...

_Subject: I see you, Cassandra._

Cassie gasped. There weren't many people who'd call her that. More than anything she wanted to close the message and call it a day, but she mindlessly kept scrolling, reading through the horrifying contents of this message, as if she was under a spell.

_Let's skip all the pleasantries._ _I've been watching you for a while now. As a result, I'm now in possession of vital information regarding your exact location, your inner circle, your housing, your place of work and your... free time, so to speak. I also know of several websites, where people would kill for intel on the famous @keepingitcassie. However, I'm willing to work out a price for which I'll permanently delete all the collected information from all my drives and leave you be. Let's make this a mutually beneficial exchange._

_You can always reach me at this email address._

Cassie's heart fell right through her chest. Stalked AND blackmailed, not to mention almost attacked; what kind of a day is this? " _I've been watching you for a while now,_ " - they wrote. Could it be that guy from the bus? He did follow her twice, and his clothes screamed suspicious. Back to the issue, though: what could be the best solution? She stood up, hands shaking, and slowly approached her cupboard. Cassie opened it and reached inside, grabbing a glass jar full of money.

***

\- Excellent work on the essay, Anna, - said the woman on Anna's screen. Anna thanked her. - Your presentation skills, however, require improvement. Let's go over them once more.

The University of Cunningham was a very, very demanding place to attend. Getting in wasn't easy, too; they required perfection in every studying skill and wouldn't settle for less. Anna was excellent at writing; she was a good learner and could answer almost all the theory questions, too; however, there was room for improvement regarding her presentation skills. After her initial fiasco, she became even more dissatisfied with her public speaking and even more nervous. And that's when Jane, her tutor, came into play. Jane was a student at UC - which was one of the reasons why Anna hired her - and she knew all the tips and tricks to improve one's public speaking. During their first lesson, she promised to help Anna under one condition - if Anna follows her instructions to a T and never misses a single class. And despite her demanding work-life-saving the world balance, Anna promised she'll do her best. And do her best she did.

A ding made Anna divert her attention to her phone. A message from Ashley popped up.

\- "Heyyyy Anna! Do you wanna hang out tonight? Ladies drink free in Vortex Club!"

\- "Sorry, Ash. I'm studying." - Anna replied. It's been ages since she hung out with her best friend. She noticed a photo of her and Ashley at the club, drunk and happy, and sighed longingly.

\- What's that? - Jane asked, looking concerned.

\- Nothing. Just a friend. 

Meanwhile, Yolanda, after finally being free from her day job, was preparing to do her night one. She walked out of the staff room, wearing her cleaning outfit - black pants and a matching sweatshirt with the shopping center's emblem on the back. Yolanda picked up a cloth and started wiping the shelf. That's when she noticed a group of teenagers, well-dressed, probably drunk and ready to torment anyone in sight.

\- Hey cleaning lady, clean this! - yelled a tall girl with hoop earrings as she threw an empty bottle at Yolanda. It didn't hit her, but it broke, mixing shards of glass with cheap beer on the shop floor.

Yolanda felt her eyes redden with anger. She felt like all the air was being sucked out of her lungs; the only thing she could think about is to pick up all the glass and beer with her powers and stuff them down the teen's shirt, maybe even throw something at the others for good measure. She quickly restrained herself, though; as Yolanda leaned down and started picking up the glass with her gloved hands, she heard the teenagers go away, laughing at their prank. Several unpleasant memories popped up in her mind; she brushed them aside, calming herself down. As soon as she gets enough money, she thought, she'll get back at them all - not by violence and maliciousness, however, but by going back to school and finally becoming successful. "The best revenge is to be successful", she recalled a saying from her past. 

***

Taylor was standing in front of the building, checking his clock nervously. Jemma was supposed to be here five minutes ago; she didn't pick up her phone either. They had agreed that Jemma would pick Taylor up and drive him home after work; however, she was running late for some reason. Finally, a black car pulled up. Taylor took a closer look; it was Jemma's car indeed. She was looking slightly tired, greeting him with a warming smile. 

\- Hey, - he sat down next to her, kissing her on the cheek. Her dark straightened hair brushed past his face.

\- Hi, - she said back, - Sorry for running late, I had to drop something off at my friend's.

As she spoke, Taylor noticed something was off. He couldn't tell what exactly, but there was something... unnatural about Jemma's tiredness, her posture, the way she held the wheel. He sniffed the air sneakily and he felt, to his horror, a slight smell of alcohol. 


End file.
